Light in the Dark
by ElusiveUniverse
Summary: "Darkness never frightened me. Never did I tremble when the lights went out or the sun went down. But there were far more terrifying things waiting in the unknown before me than perhaps a few monsters under the bed. No, this was an entirely different type of monster." Full description inside! This is a Next Generation story with a new enemy and some old faces. Rated T for language.
1. Prologue

Description: Sisters and best friends, Lumos and Nox couldn't be more opposite. While attending Hogwarts, things change for the worse with them and they increasingly become distant. While Nox is constantly finding trouble with her new friends, troubles of an entirely sinister variety are stirring in the form of a new cult, founded in the name of the dark arts and a New World Order. As their past is uncovered and the threat of the group becomes greater, the two sisters are faced with the temptation of power, vengeance, and darkness. They will be forced to question what is most important to them and to see the good in the bad, the bad in the good and the light in the darkest of times.

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters from the Harry Potter Universe, just the ones I made up, yadda yadda yadda. Also, If you're giving my story a chance then a giant THANK YOU to you, you saint. Please feel free to review with praise or constructive criticism alike, but I must say, if you're gonna be a d-bag just for the sake of being a d-bag then that's just lame and rude and if you do it please use entertaining word choice. Okay, yes thanks and now I shall write things!

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><p>"<em>Lumos." Barely a whisper, my wand responded, lighting up before my eyes. The light cast an eerie green glow around me that didn't touch more than a few feet in all directions. I pressed on into the dark, mustering up all my courage. Darkness never frightened me. Never did I tremble when the lights went out or the sun went down. But there were far more terrifying things waiting in the unknown before me than perhaps a few monsters under the bed. No, this was an entirely different type of monster. But I would not show fear.<em>

_The corridor was long and dusty, and _descending. _Soon enough, I thought, I will have reached the gates of hell. I nearly laughed aloud at the irony of such a fate. Surely he did this on purpose. I looked to the cold, stone walls on either side of me to find that all the portraits stared back with empty, lifeless eyes. The feeling that their gazes were following me as I continued onward was not a comfort for once. It was getting colder, and I was getting closer, I knew it. _

_Suddenly, a sound, the smallest of sounds, hardly a shuffle, in front of me halted my movements. Immediately my heartrate quickened and each and every hair on my arms seemed to rise in anticipation. Shivering from the chills that ran up my spine, I raised my left arm._

"_Hello sister dear," She called with a wicked smile. She lifted her wand._

"_Nox!" And the darkness consumed us._


	2. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling's brain, as much as I wish I was. I own none of the universe she created for us, I just play in it! So, I present to you chapta one!_

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><p><strong>Matilda Harman <strong>

_**May 2012**_

"Mummy! Mummy! She did it again!"

Turning away from the fumes, I gazed down. Peering up at me were a pair of big, shining eyes of spring grass. Sincerely the brightest green irises I'd ever looked upon. Comparable to that of muggle anitfrost, or was it antifrozen? Something of that variety, it didn't matter. Her eyes were just truly lovely, with flecks of gold that matched the tumbling, curly locks that fell neatly on her shoulders. The child tugged at the hem of my skirt in impatience, oblivious to the sheer wonderment that befell me from simply looking at her; my first born child, my little light. "What did she do, sweet pea?" I asked, kneeling down on the tile floor.

"She bit me! Nox bit me!" Her bottom lip slid into a pout and her hands clenched into little fists. Ah, the wrath of a seven year old. Merlin protect us all!

"Did not!" Chimed another small voice as my second-born charged into the room in a state of tumult. "Did not! Did not! Did not, Mummy!" She slid to a stop next to her sister. It was utterly laughable how different the two looked. Where her sister had neat, golden curls, Nox's hair was a wild mess of black waves. Where her sister had the brightest of green eyes, Nox's eyes were the darkest blue; at times they appeared violet! Where her sister had a clear, olive skin tone, Nox was of pale complexion, with a dusting of freckles upon the entirety of her face, chest and shoulders. Yes, Nox and Lumos were opposites, resembling their namesakes so well in physical appearance that it was often joked about amongst our family and friends. Yet, it wasn't just that. They were so contrasting in behavior as well. Nox, in her six years, spent much of her time mimicking the actions and mannerisms of my husband. Sarcastic beyond her years with an incessant glint of mischief in her eyes, she was my little troublemaker. Lumos, was calm, well-mannered, and as sweet as pie. Lumos was the day to Nox's night.

I smiled hugely at my two girls before me, raising a brow at Nox. "Are you sure about that, little Noxie?"

Lumos insisted sticking out her arm. "Look Mum, she bit me right there!" Sure enough, there was a little, crescent bite mark on her forearm.

"Now Nox, why did you bite your sister?" I asked, chuckling slightly.

Nox's brows furrowed as she stuck her tongue out at Lumos. "She told me Max likes her best, didn't you Lou? You did! Mummy, I _swear _she did!" She crossed her arms dramatically. "It was very mean, Mum, very mean indeed! And not true at all, Lou, he gives me many more kisses than the likes of you!"

"He does not! He kisses me far more often, and he gets the most excited when _I _come home." Lumos protested, her green eyes flashing in annoyance.

My eyes rolled. Laughing more, I whistled, calling the family dog into the kitchen. Max trotted in, tail wagging, tongue dangling from his mouth. He sat before me obediently, waiting for a treat most likely. "Girls, let's let Max settle this, himself, yeah? Maximus, who do you love the most?!"

He proceeded to lick his genitals.

Simultaneously, the three of us laughed and feigned gagging. I gave him a poke in the side, stopping him. "He _obviously_ likes me the most! _Don'tchu Maxipie, who's a good poochie?!_"

"I beg to differ." Jack was home. He strolled into the kitchen, hanging his cloak on the back of a chair. The girls ran to him immediately, he lifted them into his arms, smiling. "How are you, young ladies? Causing trouble for your Mum, are you?"

Nox shook her head vigorously. "No Daddy, we've been angels! Haven't we, Lou?" Lou nodded with just as much enthusiasm.

Jack looked to his youngest, grinning wickedly. "You're a right liar, you are, little one." It was uncanny how much our daughter looked like him, with their matching, untidy head of ebony waves, and their playful smile. Her eyes matched his eyes, now on me, almost identically. His smile widened as I grinned up at him, still kneeling on the kitchen floor. "And so are you!" He said to me, putting the girls down. "You're all liars, the lot of you! I am the leader of this here pack, and therefore Max loves me most, eh boy?!" Max barked, hopping onto his hind legs and promptly dragging his tongue across Jack's face, leaving a trail of slobber on his cheek.

I nearly peed. Nox was on the floor, screaming in laughter. "Daddy!" she cried. "He's been licking his bollocks!"

I nearly pooed. Jack's face was a blend of disgust at the news and pure shock at the six year old's language. After a moment of considering this, he doubled over, clutching his stomach and letting out howls of laughter. "No doubt she learned that from you!" I accused. He looked at me and shrugged through his laughter, picked up Nox and gave her a fat kiss on the cheek. She squealed and wiggled away, wiping at her cheek furiously before running out the room, Lumos trailing behind her. Their laughter echoed all the way down the hallway and out the front door, into the garden. Standing from the floor, I turned back to my potion. The curling tendrils of smoke danced their way to the ceiling. I smiled to myself as Jack placed a light kiss on my cheek. How lucky am I? I have the perfect family.

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**Nox**

_**August 2016**_

It was very dark. And yet, I could see everything. Silhouettes and outlines of things. A bookshelf to my left, something in a frame above the fireplace, a chair in the corner, a woman in the chair. A woman? I did a double-take. Surely I was mistaken, but no, there she sat – no – she stood from the chair, her robes swishing behind her as she walked toward the door across the room that I hadn't seen before. _No, wait! _I wanted to call after her but no words would come. So I followed, she had her hand on the handle now and I was mere feet away. Opening the door, bright, yellow light spilled into the room, casting shadows on the walls. I saw her face, she was beautiful. She hardly seemed real as she smiled, shaking her head. _No, no, young moonchild, it is not yet time for you to step into the light._

And with that, the door was closed, she was gone and I saw nothing at all.

I sat up, awake now in my own bed, stretching and letting out a deafening yawn. I could see silhouettes again, though the room was entirely great effort, I rolled out of bed and shuffled to the window, lifting the shades and allowing the morning's light to fill the room. Looking around, I knew I'd be hearing a mouthful from Mum today about the state of my room. Clothes littered practically every inch of the floor, and the surface of my shelves were coated in a layer of dust. Stretching out and cracking my back, I pulled a hoodie over my head, pulled my hair up in a ponytail, and then made my way out the door, down the hall and downstairs. Dad was already at the table, his eyes caught mine as he peeked over today's daily prophet. "Mornin' princess, sleep well, did you?" I mumbled a gibberish response and sat at the table, rubbing at my eyes. Lumos, in all her eleven year old grace, floated into the room, practically glowing as she grinned at me. Personally, I didn't much like mornings. My eyes always took ages to adjust to the light. Lou, though, she positively relished them. Typically when I came downstairs, starting my day, she'd have already spent hours on the bay window seat, reading. Today was no different, I presumed, noting the book she had tucked between her arm and hip.

"Mum's just put on some tea, then shall we go to the field?" She asked, green eyes bright.

I nodded vigorously, delighted at the prospect of some flying practice. But Mum, as mums seem to do, immediately spoiled my fun. "Girls," she said, pouring me a cup of tea. "We're going to Diagon Alley today to get Lumos's things for school." Scowling at my mother, I crossed my arms. It wasn't that I was terribly upset about going to Diagon Alley, it was always good fun and I knew Dad would buy us ice cream from Florean's. It was that I wasn't particularly excited – in fact, I felt it was entirely unfair – that Lou was going to Hogwarts in a matter of weeks. Without me.

"Oh don't pout, little one, you'll get your turn too," Dad said from behind his newspaper.

My scowl deepened. "When I do, will you stop calling me 'little one'?"

A light chuckle floated over _The Daily Prophet_. Placing it on the table, he stood, gave my ponytail a good tug and said, "Don't count on it, Noxie."

I grinned a bit and slurped down my tea. "We can go later, can't we Lou? We can bring Max and the brooms and have a race!" I eyed her hopefully. Her smile faltered a bit, she wasn't too keen on flying. But I knew she'd never turn down a challenge and I added, "Unless you're scared…"

Her eyes glinted. "Oh please, I am certainly not scared! I've been on a broom loads of times before!"

"Yes, but you're scared because you know I'm going to win. I'm a much better flyer."

Lou scoffed. "You're on, brat!"

I praised myself inwardly, always loving when I could get a rise out of Lumos. She was only slightly more difficult than Mum.

The thing about my Mum was that she always did her best to be poised and collected. Even when I could see flashes of anger in her brown eyes, she remained cool, cold even, but she never yelled. It was utterly infuriating. No matter what I did, broke, or blew up, she would scold me in low tones.

"Nox, have some breakfast, won't you?" said Mum as she sat next to me at the table.

Lou snorted. "It's hardly breakfast anymore at noon, Mum. Plus, Noxie doesn't like breakfast."

Mum insisted. "How about I fix you some banana pancakes?" She knew they were my favorite.

Exactly as I responded with "I'm not hungry," Lou simultaneously stated, "She's not hungry."

"Very well. Why don't you girls go get ready to leave, I'd like to be back in time for supper. Merlin knows your father will pitch a fit if he doesn't get fed at a decent hour." The kitchen window was open and my father's laughs could be heard from the garden. He was notorious for becoming a bit unmanageable when hungry. "Jack," Mum called. "Why don't you owl the Creeveys and see if they'd care to join us?"

Dad's head popped up in the window. "Will do, dear!"

With that, we were preparing to leave for Diagon Alley. It seemed like mere moments later that the Creeveys had arrived in the foyer with a loud _crack!_ Max was deeply upset by his nap being disturbed and went positively mad, barking his bloody head off for about a decade. Dennis and Holly Creevey were jovial folk who greeted my parents with great excitement and warm smiles as though they hadn't just seen them two afternoons ago. Their children, Collin and Kit were a smidge less ardent though still smiled cordially. I noticed a flush painting Lou's cheeks as she peered up at Collin through gold eyelashes.

"Alright, Collin? I reckon you're excited to be going back to school," she said, her cheeks getting pinker by the moment.

He seemed somewhat disinterested as he shrugged. "Yeah," Collin said. "I'll be glad to be able to go to Hogsmeade this year." Collin was entering his third year. Kit, however, wouldn't be starting until next year, like me.

Lou pressed on. "You're so lucky! They should let first and second years go too, don't you think?"

Collin shrugged again. "I suppose they don't want the little ones getting lost."

I glowered as Lou's face took on a new shade of rosy embarrassment. Kit laughed and rolled his eyes, leaving his brother's side to pet Max. I could hardly believe what a prat that Collin Creevey was being. He had never been like that before, always having been more than happy to play with us. In fact, we had gone over to the Creeveys' just a week ago for dinner and he joined Lou, Kit and I with no complaint as we raced to The Field. I supposed he was too grown up now that he was about to enter his third year. He looked as though it was a physical discomfort to be in our company. The git.

Lou looked rather dejected and morose as Mum announced from the next room that we had better get our bums to the fireplace. Muttering about needing to pick up more floo powder, she gave Lou a handful of the ashy substance and motioned to the fireplace saying "you first, sweet pea!" And here I had thought her cheeks couldn't get any more red. She stood upon the metal grate, cleared her throat, raised her arm and shouted "Diagon Alley!" before disappearing in a brilliant flash of green flames. Next, it was my turn to do the same as Mum handed me some floo powder of my own. Mimicking the actions of my sister, I watched my family as green flames engulfed me. I was gone in a small moment.

Diagon Alley was quite the sight to behold. The cobblestone street laid out ahead of me was lively and inviting. I could almost feel the familiar magic in the atmosphere, waking up and enticing every fiber of my being. People in any color robe you could imagine were walking every which way, some were alone, perhaps enjoying an ice cream cone or admiring the newest model on display at Broomstix, some were in groups – families – seemingly here purchasing Hogwarts supplies, like us.

"Where to first?" Dad asked, the last to have flooed in. "Lead the way Loumie!"

Lou's eyes were huge with excitement. She gazed out, dreamily. I envied her, wishing I didn't have to wait another year for my day. Lou dug furiously in her bag, pulling out a single piece of parchment. "I'll need to go to Madam Malkin's for my robes, Flourish and Blott's, Ollivander's of course and I'll be needing a pewter cauldron, so Potage's."

"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!" I added.

"I was thinking something more along the lines of Eeylops," said Lou with a pleading smile to our father.

Mum agreed. "Yes, you'll need an owl so you can write to us! But shall we start with Ollivander's?"

Collin and Kit wanted to take a peek at the brooms so it was decided we'd all meet back up at Flourish and Blott's once Lumos had gotten her wand. Mr. Creevey offered me a warm smile. "Perhaps your dad and I can bring you and Kit over to the joke shop while your sister and Collin get their robes?" I had always liked Mr. Creevey, he had very kind eyes, beyond the years that would appear on his face. Dad said certain people had the war in their eyes, and Mr. Creevey had endured a lot when Lord Voldemort nearly rose to power.

"Excellent, Dad!" cried Kit before taking off toward Broomstix with the rest of the Creeveys.

Ollivander's wand shop, I'm told, used to resemble something entirely different on the outside. Today, the once-peeling gold sign reflected invitingly in the sunlight as we entered the shop, a bell faint bell ringing somewhere off in the back. Inside, there were lamps along each towering shelf, flooding the room with warm light. There were boxes everywhere, lining the walls and stacked haphazardly on the floor, climbing to the ceiling.

"Hello," croaked a sudden voice, giving me a start. I turned to see a small, old man behind the counter, a strange smile upon his weary face. "It's been centuries since I've had a Harman _witch _in my shop." He turned his keen gaze on me. "Two Harman witches… How very interesting indeed."

"Mr. Ollivander, this is my first-born, Lumos," My father stated, nervously eying the strange old man.

Lumos stepped forward timidly, tucking a lock of golden hair behind her ear. He leaned over the counter, silver eyes sharp with assessment as he stared at her. "Ah, yes, you'll wield powerful magic." She gulped audibly.

Some time later, Lou was proudly admiring her new wand: cedar, ten and a half inches, unicorn hair, rather bendy. Ollivander smiled at us as we were leaving, his piercing eyes on me again, following me all the way out the door.

As planned, we made our way to Flourish and Blott's. The Creeveys were already there. I noticed Collin smiling so massively it looked as though his cheeks would split as he tenaciously clutched a long, thin package. Mum and Mrs. Creevey set off with Lou and Collin's lists. Kit approached me. "Wanna set a _Monster Book of Monsters _on my brother?" He asked with a wicked smirk, tilting his head toward a cage in the corner where several curious looking books could be heard snoring. Agreeing, we ducked away from our fathers who had begun talking to another man who I didn't recognize, and were disappointed to find the cage was locked. The furry textbooks snoozed on, painfully out of reach from Kit and I's devious clutches. I huffed in disdain.

"I feel your pain," an unfamiliar voice said. To my left stood a boy who seemed to be about my age. He had a dark brown head of untidy hair, and he wore a crooked grin while his hazel eyes glimmered with playfulness. "Gave it a shot earlier. No such luck. The shopkeeper's got to open it for you, but I'm guessing you two had no plans of buying one of those books."

I eyed him suspiciously. "Perhaps I did want to purchase one!" I said.

He laughed out loud. "Rubbish! You're no third year. I reckon you're not even a second year, dwarf."

Kit, the prat, laughed along with him. "She's not even a first year! We don't start until next year."

"Kit!" I cried with clenched fists. I grabbed his wrist, giving the boy a quick glare and stormed off with Kit in tow. "You simply _had_, to help him!"

"Oh, calm down _dwarf_! He's right, you know, you are rather small."

I stuck my tongue out at him and he laughed again. The Dads introduced us to the man they were speaking to as Seamus Finnegan. He told us his son, Tomas, would be starting his second year. He was in Gryffindor with Collin. The two boys were talking animatedly, having pulled the broom out of Collin's package to admire. It was the newest Cleansweep.

Mum and Mrs. Creevey found the books on the list and were ready to continue to Potage's to – "Oh come on Mum, can't we stop for ice cream first? Puhleeeease, Mum? Look at Lou, she's totally off colour! I fear she may faint if she doesn't get anything in her stomach!"

"Yeah," Kit agreed. "She looks utterly weak in the knees."

"Totally off colour," mumbled Collin, nodding slightly.

Lumos feigned wobbling a bit before tumbling backwards into Dad who caught her with a chuckle. "See Mum, there's just been so much excitement today, I'm desperate for some food, honestly!" said Lou.

Mum's eyes rolled to the ceiling. "Perhaps some real food then?"

"Yes," added Mrs. Creevey, "How about the Leaky Couldron?"

"No, no. That really just won't do," said I, sounding eerily like my mother. She and Mrs. Creevey were looking to Dad and Mr. Creevey for support. Mr. Creevey merely laughed and shrugged his shoulders while Dad simply began walking out the door, bidding farewell to the Finnegans and headed straight toward Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.

"Surely this doesn't surprise you, Matilda! Nox is never satisfied with a trip to the Alley until she's had her scoop of pumpkin ice cream." Dad said, opening the door for us. It was wonderful watching the ice cream scoop itself, obeying the wand waving of the pretty, young shop girl. She gave each of us an extra scoop and, to her delight, Mum tipped her three sickles. We sat outside, the sun bright in our eyes. Collin, in better spirits now that he'd gotten the chance to show off his new broom, started telling us all about Hogwarts as he ate his Pecan Fudge Supreme. Lou was utterly enthralled, her bright eyes, wide and staring as her strawberry cone started dripping onto her hands. "- and there's this one professor, who's a ghost! He teaches History of Magic, Professor Binns. Dead boring class it is." Dear Godric, I hoped the pun was not intended.

"D'you know where the Ravenclaw common room is?" asked Lou eagerly.

I rolled my eyes. "For Merlin's sake, Lou, why the bleeding hell would he know that?" Of course she would be wondering all about Ravenclaw. My family came from a long line of blue and bronze donning know-it-alls. I've lost track of how many times Mum has reminded me with great zeal that _wit beyond measure is a man's greatest treasure!_ Lou would undoubtedly be a Ravenclaw the moment the sorting hat touched her head, just like Mum and Dad.

I had doubts about myself.

"Nox, care to watch your tongue?"

"Mum I can't, see?" I stuck my tongue out and attempted to look down at it. "I can'd thee ith ah awl!"

Lou giggled as Mum shook her head. "Collin," I started, addressing the sandy-headed boy. "_Do _you know where the Ravenclaw common room is?"

"I think it's in another tower, like Gryffindor but I couldn't tell you where the entrance is."

"I rest my point!"

Lou seemed a bit disappointed, but smiled. "I'll find out soon enough, I suppose. If I'm even selected for Ravenclaw. But it's the _best _house, and I'm the best!" she laughed at this, eyes glinting uncharacteristically. I laughed, choking a bit on my ice cream. Collin's face took on an angry expression and Kit delivered Lou a shove to the shoulder, sending her strawberry ice cream to the cobblestone street. In response she knocked his banoffee cone out of his hands. For a moment, the two looked longingly at their ice cream as it melted into the cracks between the stones, the two flavors merging together; a strawbanoffee river traveling down the street. A stitch knitted its way into my side from laughing like mad, clutching onto Collin's elbow as we both doubled over. Then, the moment, as moments tend to do, it left as fast as it came and we carried on. Potage's was next; much to Kit and I's dismay. But it was a brief visit. And as assured, when Collin and Lou needed to go to Madame Malkin's, Dad and Mr. Creevey whisked us away to the promise land: Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

I had died and gone to heaven. All around me were the most amazing _things_. Shelves, tables and buckets filled with any practical jokes, toys, explosives, and tricks your mind could dream of making and two wild Weasley twins dared to. Fanged Frisbees, nose-biting teacups, quills - in Smart Answer, Self-Inking, Self-Writing and Spell Checking varieties – and tons and tons of fireworks. I was practically drooling at the sight of it all. Dad reminded me to stay away from the explosives because "there's no way I'm buying you any after what happened last time, little one." (I may have sent a Crystal Incantation Comet up three stories and through the roof after _completely accidentally_ possibly sending it through the bay window where Lou was reading – and totally frightened the daylights out of her! It was brilliant! – Right. So what?)

Kit was already admiring Weather in a Bottle products while I made my way to the trick wands, seeking ones that looked anything like Lou's. From a lofted part of the shop, cacophonous laughter could be heard. I paid no mind, reckoning that laughter was rather typical for a joke shop. Eying the screaming yo-yos, I took no notice of the hazel-eyed boy who stood next to me, smirking.

And then he disturbed my peace. "Nice to see you again."

Turning, I prepared to glare. _I am not a dwarf, prat!_ But he offered me a chocolate frog which I graciously accepted and decided I could like him. "Are you following me?" I asked.

He shook his head with vigor, brown – no, it's got a reddish tint, doesn't it? – hair messing itself up even more. "My uncle owns the place."

My eyes widened. "You're a Weasley?" _There's that reddish tint._

His smirk sharpened. "Try Potter," he said, offering me his hand. "James, the second."

"Hello, James the second Potter. I'm Harman. Nox, the only." I shook his hand happily, and bit into my chocolate frog. "So your uncle's George Weasley? Is he here? Can I meet him?"

He appeared mildly shocked but shook his head, smirking again. "He's here, but he's a bit busy working on some new explosive products at the moment." Just then, as if planned for, a loud bang erupted throughout the shop, giving just about all the shoppers a start. It was immediately followed by the same loud laughter I had heard before. James and I both laughed as I stared out at the shop in wonderment. "I could show you around, if you'd like!" He offered.

"Actually I –" Something hit me hard in the back of the head. An Aviautomobile flew high to the ceiling and disappeared behind a shelf. "Kit!" I called, spinning on my heel. His sandy head was hung toward the ground as he clutched his stomach in laughter. James joined him in letting out loud barking laughs. Rubbing slightly at the back of my head where a lump was growing, I smiled at Kit but delivered the hardest punch I could muster to his arm.

"Ouch, Nox, that bloody hurt!"

"So did the flying toy car to the skull, you tosser!"

James was still laughing when Kit took notice of him. "You're the bloke from earlier," he declared matter-of-factly.

"Yeah," I confirmed, turning back toward the mahogany-haired boy. "He's James Potter!"

Kit's jaw dropped, blue eyes wide. "Your dad. Harry Potter. Dark Lord," he let out in a stutter. "Merlin, brilliant to meet you Potter! Kit Creevey!"

"Yeah, he's my dad," he responded, his smirk melting to a proud smile. Kit went off asking a wild series of questions, some uncomfortably personal. James didn't seem to mind in the slightest as he answered as many as he could stand to. He had a look of pure satisfaction on his face, undoubtedly loving the attention his dad's fame earned him. Not a single non-muggle-born witch or wizard would be unfamiliar with the surname Potter. Of course I knew the name the moment he introduced himself. I imagine my reaction would have been as horrifically dim as Kit's. However, something I seemed to heed from my mother (among very few others) was a sense of composure – the ability to disguise some enticement with nonchalance.

"So, d'you guys fancy a tour of the shop?" James asked again once Kit had run out of questions for the time being.

"No thanks, we hardly need it! Nox and I have been here loads, right Nox? Yeah, the explosives are over there, and the toys on those shelves, and the fanged frisbees in that bucket, and the muggle magic back there, and –"

"Oi! James!" a tall boy approached. His skin was enviously bronze and his hair coppery. _A very cute Weasley_, I considered, suppressing the blush that threatened to creep up my neck. I found myself thankful, again, for Mum's composure. "Dad wants your opinion on the new explosives now that he's awake again – who're you?"

"Kit Creevey, and Nox Harman the only," replied James, grinning at our newest company.

The tall boy peered down at us with an eyebrow raised. "Weird names," he stated simply. "Fred Weasley, at your service!"

Composure over and out. "Oh my Godric. Your dad is George Weasley! He owns this shop! This is my favorite shop in England! My favorite shop in the world! He's my bloody hero!"

Fred chuckled and I wished I could hex myself. "You're a nutter, you are. Nox? What kind of name is that? Got a brother named Lumos?"

Kit and I both snorted. "A sister, actually," Kit stated.

Fred looked amused. "You're joking."

"I wish." I had no idea what Mum and Dad were thinking. But oh, how Mum loved to tell that story:

_She was born glowing, she was. I could hardly stand to look at her without squinting my eyes. So I named her Lumos; my little light. Then, just over a year later, we had a little lady of all dark features, and I couldn't resist! We named her of the night! Blah, blah, blah. _

How smashing, yeah? Let's name one kid after the light and the other after darkness, _rubbish_. Thanks a bunch Mum, love you too. After a while, though, I got over it and grew fond of my name. It has an 'x' in it, which is cool enough.

"Right," said Fred, chuckling. "Dad's George Weasley, yeah. The bloke went and knocked himself out with a Confundus Confetti Cannonball and he's just roused and wants James to test it next," he grinned, looking positively wicked. "So I've got to steal him!"

To my surprise, James couldn't have looked more thrilled. "Be seeing you next year at school then, I s'pose! Bye dwarf, bye Creevey!"

The two ran off, upstairs and out of sight and I was left yelling, "I am not a _dwarf, _Potter!"

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The stars were out and the grass was wet leaving both the earth and the sky twinkling as the moon shone. The dew was icy on my bare feet but it sure made for excellent sliding as I took on a run down the hill, quickly falling into a tumble all the way down. Laughing, I rolled onto my back and gazed at the universe above me. Each and every burning star winked at me in welcome. I sent a wink back into the infinity and sat up. Lou walked over having taken her time on the dew-flecked grass. She took a seat next to me and stared out at the field. The moonlight sparkling brilliantly against the condensation, it was a perfect night. It was her last night. Peering at my sister out of the corner of my eye, I smiled at her. She sat, wild green eyes wide, reflecting the stars in a state of pure wonder. Her ever-glowing skin was a golden contrast against the luminescent world around us. Tomorrow she would leave for Hogwarts. We'd be apart for longer than ever in our lives. But for now, the universe was ours and ours only.

"I know," she said, without even looking back at me. "I'm gonna miss you too, Noxie. I promise I'll write to you all the time. The holidays will be here before you know it!"

Sighing, I lay back down. "Yeah, I know. I'm fine, really. Totally sorted. In fact, I'm chuffed! I'll have loads more time with Kit and Mum and Dad and Max. And you know that Georgiana girl from down in the village? I reckon she'll hang out with me again now that the Ministry's sorted the whole Canary Crème incident."

I heard her chuckling softly. "You're a right rubbish liar, Nox. You know that, don't you?"

"Pardon me, I'm a brilliant liar. Just not to you. I'm bloody gutted, Lou."

Falling back against the grass, she looked at me for the first time since we arrived at The Field. "You'll be joining me in a year! It'll be like I never left without you." _Cringe. _"We'll be the most dynamic duo of Ravenclaws in the century." _Double cringe._

"I've tried asking Dad to enchant your trunk so I could fit in it. He just doesn't think it's a good idea. I think it's one of my best so far, personally. There's just no reasoning with the man."

I swear, you could hear her eyes rolling. "Oh Nox, do _try _to behave, will you? You know how much you wind up Mum. One of these days she might actually snap and go mad."

"I don't know what you're referring to. I'm wonderful."

Lumos sat up rather suddenly and let out a strangled cry. "You _are _wonderful! I'm going to miss you so much!" _Dear Godric, she's crying._ All the same, I sat up as well and turned to wrap my arm around her middle, leaning my head on her shoulder and once again looking to the stars. "You're my best mate."

Considering this, I thought about the ten months ahead. In which Lou would be sorted into a new house, Ravenclaw, in which she would meet new people and form a new family. She would make new mates and learn all about them and, in turn, they would learn about her. Would they remind her to have fun? Would they encourage her to climb the tree? Or would they sit against the trunk with her, never to notice how nice the world looks when you see it from new ground? No, it would be alright. She would still be Lumos and I would still be Nox. We would always be there I contrast and compliment. Even when she made her new mates, I would always be her best mate; I would always be her sister.

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**James Sirius Potter**

"JAMES SIRIUS POTTER! YOU GET YOUR ARSE DOWN HERE THIS MINUTE OR MERLIN HELP ME, I WILL SELL YOU TO THE MUGGLES!"

Welp, this was it. I quickly picked up my trunk and lugged it out my bedroom door and down the hallway, stopping briefly to inwardly bid farewell to the room I'd been sleeping in for the eleven years. At the top of the stairs, I grew impatient with the ruddy, heavy thing and decided, in order to properly give Mum one last fit before she sent me off. I chucked it, and down it went, hitting every step on the way. I followed it down in a run, nearly tumbling myself.

"JAMES!"

"Mum, don't get your knickers in a twist, I'm right here!" I strolled into the kitchen, dragging my trunk behind me. She had a deadly look on her face. "Dropped it," I stated, offering her my most winning smile. Unimpressed, she put a hand on her hip menacingly. Mum would be ready for a row if I accepted the challenge. Lucky for her I wasn't particularly in the mood!

"I don't know what you're smiling about James, you've all but missed the train. We're going to have to floo there now."

I noted Lily sitting at the table glaring at me, equally as threatening a look as Mum's. She had been chuffed to pieces about taking the muggle car. We hardly ever used it, it was mainly for appearances but Lily _loved _the dodgy contraption. "Hard lines, Lil. Maybe we'll get to use it next year!"

"Prat! You did it on purpose because you're scared of the car!" she stood from her chair in anger, little fists curled, her flushed face nearly identical to her flaming hair.

I approached her and gave her a patronizing pat on the head. "There, there little sister, I know you'll miss me terribly but there's no remedying these feelings of despair by lashing out at your favorite brother. Don't fret, I'm sure over time I'll grow to miss you too." She rolled her eyes, exasperated, and shoved my hand away before storming off.

"Rubbish, I'm her favorite," Albus said as he stepped into the room, expression indistinguishable. I shrugged. The truth was, I'd miss them both loads. But I knew they'd soon enough be joining me and the rest of the Potter-Weasley clan in wreaking havoc in the corridors of Hogwarts.

Mum was calling me into the sitting room where we would be flooing to Uncle Charlie's flat which was conveniently within walking – or running, knowing Mum – distance from King's Cross. Uncle Charlie was off in Romania or somewhere, who the bloody hell knows? I haven't seen him in ages. But he always came to Christmas with brilliant gifts from all over the wizarding world.

Dad flooed first, then Mum and Lily. Al looked at me, eyes curious. "Ready?" he asked.

I nodded. "Born ready, Al." He was gone in a flash of green flame and then I was suddenly quite alone. Picking up a handful of floo powder, I stepped into the fireplace. Sweeping my eyes about the room one last time, I declared my destination, threw the powder to my feet and was swallowed up in flames.

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"Have you got your red jumper?" Mum asked, fussing over the buttons on my coat.

"No Mum, it's too small now and all pinchy in my armpits." It was really near time to board the train. I could tell Mum was stalling. "I'm going to miss you Mum."

She wiped a single tear away from her eye and pulled me into a spine-cracking hug. "I love you James."

"Love you too, Mum," the words were muffled by her shoulder. She righted herself and smiled down at me, placing a hand on my cheek for a moment. I turned toward Dad who had been oddly quiet all morning.

He gave me a look comparable to Al's. Eyes mixed with pride, assessment and hardly detectable – but I knew him too well – sadness. "James," he started, exhaling a bit. He placed a hand on my shoulder and peered at me over the rim of his circular glasses. "_Please _don't blow up Hogwarts." And he smiled.

I grinned back at my father before quickly hugging him. He ruffled my hair, still smiling. "I reckon the house will be a lot quieter without you. Maybe I'll actually get some work done."

"Yes, and maybe we'll go more than three months without having to get the roof fixed," added Mum.

"I'll be back in December. Don't get your hopes up."

_Eye rolls all around! An eye roll for you! Here Dad, one for you! Mum, you know I have one for you! Can't forget about you, Albus! Lily, here you go, one for you! _"Bye Lils," I said, kneeling before my baby sister. Her green eyes were vibrant, sparkling with tears as she threw her arms around my neck, wailing a bit. I gave her a good squeeze.

"I'll m-miss you sooo m-much Jamie!" she cried.

I seriously considered responding with a funny retort, but instead, I hugged Lily a bit tighter before planting a kiss on the top of her head, then standing upright.

Al had no words of wisdom or tears for me. I preferred it that way with him. Though I reckoned I might miss him the most. Al wasn't always joining Fred and me in our antics, but he was more than willing to offer a healthy laugh along with us or at our expense when we got ourselves into trouble. More than once, he had saved me from a sticky situation or two (_"Mum, I swear I was with James all night, I would have _seen_ him putting a gnome in Uncle Percy's boot!"_). We looked out for each other – when I wasn't messing with him. We grinned at each other; our smiles were the same, each molar and incisor were Dad's. "See ya, Al. Give Mum your best." He knew what I meant.

He nodded at me. "I can only attempt to live up to the legacy you've left behind."

"I have faith in you, little bruv."

He rolled his eyes again and with that I was picking up my trunk. Mum went off about how I'd better write often and that she'd go mad if she has to receive a letter once a week about me getting detentions, to which I assured her it would only be once every two, maybe three, weeks. I gave my family one last James Award-Winning Smile before turning to the scarlet steam engine awaiting me. Strolling down the platform, I searched for a specific head of red hair. Unable to see him on the platform after a lazy sweep of my gaze, I decided Fred must already be on the train and turned to climb on and – "Ouch! Sorry, so sorry!" I had bumped into a small girl with yellowy-blonde hair and, _Merlin, _practically _neon_ green eyes. She dipped her head. I stared.

"Lou! _Lou!_" another small girl, this one with black, messy curls, ran over, pushing anything and anyone in her path away. She nearly tackled the blonde in a hug before pulling away. "An extra one for good luck!" she declared with a toothy smile. Before departing, she turned toward me, where I still stood, dumbstruck by the _green _I had witnessed. Then I was struck by pure violet and I realized who I had bumped into. "Hiya, James the second Potter!"

"Watcha, Nox. Which means, this is Lumos?" I glanced at her sister. They didn't resemble each other in the slightest. _No, they have the same nose, I suppose_. Lumos Harman smiled slightly at me.

"Potter," Nox said, leaning toward me. "Prank her absolutely barmy. She needs it from someone if I can't do it ma'self!" She said it in barely a whisper so her sister couldn't hear before leaning back, a deviously glint flicking across her purple gaze. She gave her sister a chaste kiss on the cheek and with that, she was gone as quick as she had arrived.

I moved to climb onto the train, but Lumos was struggling to hoist up her trunk. With a slightly peeved sigh, I picked up the girl's trunk and motioned for her to get on. "What in the name of Godric Gryffindor do you have in here?" I asked between grunts as I followed her down the corridor. She selected an empty compartment and took a seat as I threw her trunk on the shelf above her with another grunt.

"Books," she chimed sweetly. It was my turn for an eye roll. A Ravenclaw, no doubt. She peered up at me, electric eyes evaluating. _Why do people always look at me like that?_

"Well, enjoy your trip. I've got a cousin to find and a pocketful of dung bombs to unleash." I remembered her sister's request. "I'm sure we'll be seeing much of each other, Harman," I stated with a departing wink, leaving her with a confused look upon her face. I found Fred a few compartments down with Dominique and few others: a girl named Emily SomethingOrOther, and two blokes named Sidney WhatchaName, and Martin BogeyCominOutYaNoseMate. The crowd chatted idly, Fred declared some brilliant plot he had developed with Roxanne on their way to the station, and I fixed my eyes out the window, on my family on the platform. I waved as they caught my eye and suddenly, everything was becoming all the more real and I couldn't have been more excited.

I was just beginning to envision the corridors of Hogwarts lit up with different colored fireworks, fizzbangs, and crackers, I spotted a splotch of black, streaking across the silver of the platform as the train began to inch forward. Peering down, I saw Nox Harman, a small thing, dashing faster, so far keeping an impressively even pace with the train. She looked up, face wild. I locked eyes with her and she smiled massively at me and came to a halt. She waved as the train turned, racing away from the station.

"What's got you grinning, mate?" asked Fred.

I hadn't realized I was. Getting myself sorted, I offered him a shrug. "Just can't wait to see the beastly look on your face when you get put in Slytherin."

"Belt up, Potter, you're the maniacal one!" Fred insisted, though he laughed. He punched me in the arm, I socked him in the shoulder. It went on that way for a good bit, Dom perfectly peeved for the entirety of it. After having waffled on for what felt like ages, we were there. Robes swishing around us, we stood and began following orders. We lined up, hopping off the steam engine and joining a tall, bellowing figure by the water. "'Lo Hagrid!" Fred called up to the towering man,

"Fred! Great ter see yeh! And James, o' course! How's yer Dad?"

I stared up at the great figure. His beard and long, straggly hair was looking grayer than usual. "He's brilliant Hagrid, he and Mum send their warmest regards." The bushy beard shifted upward in a smile.

"Dominique, yer the spittin' image of yer mother! Ah, but ol' Bill's eyes, big an' blue!" Dom blushed furiously at this, a purely Weasley trait. "Firs' years, on the boats! No less than two, no more than four, on yeh go firs' years!"

Fred and I were mutually glad to be rid of our compartment mates. The girl had a piercing cackle of a laugh and one of the blokes reeked of unfortunate body odor, and the other, well, the bogey was hard not to stare at.

We boarded the boats. Dominique squealed as Fred and I rocked ours. The castle loomed up before us, the light from the windows casting an enchanting glow on the lake. I sent my stare to the stars for a moment, they were breath-takingly clear where we were, nestled safely away in the hills of Scotland. I smiled, my heart pounding with unyielding anticipation. Hogwarts was my new home now. And my new family would be some from home, like Fred, Dom, and Al and Lily when it was their turn, then there would be room for new members of this new family. And for a second, I thought of the golden-haired girl with a trunk full of books. While a purple-eyed little one with anarchy left in each footprint chased trains.

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><p><em><strong>AN: **Thank you so so many muches for reading. Please feel free to compliment or critique (constructively would be preferred, but do what you must!) I realize James' part was a smidge rushed and he didn't pay as much attention to detail, however bear in mind he's an eleven year-old boy who's about to start at Hogwarts. I'd probably be more focused on that as well. Also, I don't really know much, myself about how the story is going to develop entirely. In terms of certain events and how James' relationships with the sisters will go, I'm letting them lead the way! Feel free to share your ideas if you'd like. Big love to any and all you lovely readers!_


	3. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Potterverse or the many characters that reside in it. I just enjoy playing in said Potterverse._

**_A/N: _**_ I'm not the biggest of fans of this chapter, but I have a lot of blanks to fill before I get to where the story gets really delicious. Also, I realized that in the last chapter I spelled Colin's name with two "L"s instead of the one that it's supposed to be spelled with and have made the necessary change. Thanks for bearing with me so far guys! Without further ado, this is chapter two!_

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><p><strong>Lumos<strong>

_**September 2016**_

_Home, _I thought contentedly with an inward sigh. This was it, my destiny begins here. The boat, moving on its own accord stopped at the rocky shore with a crunch of gravel. Leaping from the wooden paddle-boat as quickly as I could, I stood on the shoreline, peering up at the vast, stone castle looming from above. It emanated a glow of old magic, calling to every eager young witch and wizard who stood gawking at the infinite beauty of it. I was utterly enchanted before even laying a toe inside the mysterious halls.

Awaiting further instruction from the absurdly tall man who had been directing us since leaving the train, I stood next to the girl I had shared both my compartment on train and my boat with: Viola Zabini. We hadn't spoken much. On the train, she walked into the compartment almost silently. I'm certain I wouldn't have noticed her if I hadn't peeked over the top of my book to find her on the bench across from me, legs propped up along the length of it. She had her dark eyes set in her own book before she, too, turned her eyes away from it and on me.

"I was wondering when you'd notice me. Not very observant, are you?" she had smiled slightly at me.

"Evidently not," I had replied, "Can't help but get a bit _involved _in this book." It was Albus Dumbledore's biography.

Taking a peek at the cover, she gave a nod of her head. "Yeah, but that Rita Skeeter's a right cow. Dad says not to believe a word she says. Dumbledore was brilliant."

I agreed. "I suppose I enjoy the controversy a bit. I'm Lumos Harman."

Flipping her curtain of dark hair over her shoulder, she held out a slender hand. "Weird name. Viola Zabini."

I laughed slightly. "How terribly hypocritical of you to say, _Viola._"

She shrugged. "My name's from Shakespeare, silly girl. At least my wand won't light up when I say it."

At the mention of Shakespeare, I decided I liked her. You can imagine my disappointment when she shared that she expected to be in Slytherin, "like Mum and Dad" before we each returned to our books. Intuition told me our small friendship would be short-lived when I would be sorted into Ravenclaw (Merlin, I hoped). For now, though, as we walked side-by-side into the castle, she would do just fine.

We were lead through dark corridors, following the bobbing light of the giant's lantern. Several sets of stone stairs later, the first years all huddled together before a grand set of wooden doors. On each side of the large entryway was a twisting staircase. All along the walls were intricate portraits and landscapes whose occupants gazed, intrigued, out of their frames and down upon the young crowd. Everyone around me seemed nervous. The boy to my right was biting furiously at his nails while the girl in front of me wouldn't quit tapping her feet, infuriatingly enough. Viola, however, in all her assuredness, twirled her ebony hair around her fingers carelessly. On the other hand, I couldn't help but suck at the insides of my cheeks as my eyes darted frantically all around, seeking an escape plan. The huge man – Hagrid, he told us – eyed us all with glinting, warm, yet black, eyes the size of my own head! How very strange this place was already. However, his abnormality was nothing compared to the man taking a near-sprint down the left set of stairs. Coming to a halt between the first years and the doors, he was hard not to stare at. Donning robes of a blinding magenta and an equally as bright orange wizard's cap, the man stood smiling terrifically at the group of uncertain first years. Flicking away the tip of his cap that dangled precariously over his eye, he spoke:

"Hello little ones! Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. My name is Leonard Lenovowiskovitzalopolis. But as it's hardly a doddle to do, you will call me Professor Lenny! I teach charms so you'll be seeing a great deal of me in your next seven years here!" Viola visibly cringed at his words. I could see many around me stared, utterly horrified, at the ludicrous Professor Lenny. "Now, I will ask you to follow me in a somewhat orderly fashion. We will go into the great hall now where you will all be sorted into your respected houses! Oh, I can hardly wait!" And with that he turned around stretching his magenta cloaked arms out and opened the vast doors with a single push.

Walking the length the mad professor set out before us, I took in the most magnificent sight. Stretched out on either side of path we strode were two pairs of long, oak tables. Students of all ages sat at these tables, watching us make our way, some with smiles, some with sneers, all with curiosity. The ceiling was enchanted to mimic the night sky we had left outside and was dotted with floating candles. It was beautiful.

The person before me came to a sudden halt and I ran straight into their back. Turning back to investigate, a boy with mahogany hair and interested hazel eyes grinned at me. "All right, Harman?" James Potter. I couldn't help but distrust the glint in those mischievous eyes.

Professor Lenny cleared his throat and the hall fell silent save for several laughs at the students who were still taking in his absurd ensemble. "A word from our wise headpiece first, yes?"

I stood on the tips of my toes, peering over Potter's shoulder to get a good look at the sorting hat. A tear at the brim of the hat opened, and a hush enveloped the room. He began his song.

_Oh, welcome to Hogwarts_

_Yes, welcome to thee_

_Where ghosts roam the halls_

_And dinner is free!_

_You'll all find your place_

_In due enough time_

_But for now take a listen_

_To my little rhyme_

_Will you be Ravenclaw?_

_Home of witted and wise?_

_Where your brains are what matter_

_Not your blood, shape, or size_

_Perhaps a Hufflepuff?_

_Home of those loyal and kind_

_Where the warmth of your heart_

_Measures more than your mind_

_Or maybe Gryffindor?_

_Where live the just and the brave_

_If a bit of adventure_

_Is something you crave_

_But there's always ol' Slytherin_

_For those cunning and driven_

_Perhaps emerald and silver_

_Are the colors you'll live in_

_Come forth now young witches_

_And wizards to find_

_What house will be yours_

_When I examine your mind_

With that, the hall was quiet again and the hat sat still. And I was left antsier than ever to find out where I would belong. Professor Lenny was clapping and smiling passionately before unrolling a scroll of parchment. "When I call your names, little ducklings, please come forth and take a seat on this lovely little stool and I'll place our hat friend on your head and you'll be sorted! Right, yes, let's begin!" I noted the eye rolls across the faculty table.

"Ackerman, Camille!" A tall blonde girl stepped forward, eyes low. She took a seat without removing her gaze from her feet.

"Hufflepuff!" she smiled and stood hastily, dashing over to the table on the far left where people were cheering loudly.

"Avery, Preston!" another tall first year stepped forward from the cluster of first years. He sat, seeming a bit bored. He promptly became a Slytherin. Next Beckham, Blaire became a Gryffindor and Bhamra, Devendra became the first Ravenclaw. The brown-skinned boy was greeted by handshakes and warm smiles from the group of students wearing blue and bronze ties as he took a seat at the table to the right. I desperately longed to join him as Boot, Cordelia took a seat with the Ravenclaws as well.

"Cartman, Marshall!"

"Hufflepuff!"

"Chambers, Kirby!" a dusky headed boy stumbled forward, grinning from ear to ear as he plopped himself down on the stool and tugged the hat on, completely over his face. Chuckles from each table echoed off the stone walls of the Great Hall. The hat sat over the boy's face for nearly two whole minutes: the first hatstall. Finally the hat made its decision on where to place the silly young wizard as it bellowed "RAVENCLAW!" Kirby Chambers tore the hat from his head and returned it to the stool before dashing over to the Ravenclaw table and taking a seat next to Devendra Bhamra. After twins Millicent and Sebastian Corner became Ravenclaws as well, I wondered enviously if there'd even be room for me at the table soon enough. When Alexis Davies joined them, I was near severe panic.

"Harman, you look like you're about to pitch a fit," said James Potter with an entertained smirk. His companion, a tall redhead, laughed. I gave him a despairing look, unable to maintain my ease. He laughed some more and I frowned at him.

"You're not nervous?" I asked. What was his secret and how could I learn it?

He shook his head, untidy hair flying every which way. "Not at all, I already know I'll be a Gryffindor. My whole family's been Gryffindors for ages. Well, except for Louis; but he's always been a naffy know-it-all."

"Quite," said the tall redhead in mock-cheers.

I rolled my eyes. "That doesn't mean anything Potter. Your family history doesn't always determine your character."

He shrugged and turned away, facing the hat once more as Fairchild, Allison was sorted into Gryffindor. I was losing hope as Novak, Erica became a Ravenclaw. I glanced sideways at Viola who appeared as unaffected as ever. Taking notice of me, she gave me a brief, assuring smile before resuming her stoicism. Oh, how I envied her.

"Flint, Antonia!" a girl with coal hair took her seat. The brim hardly even made contact with her head before shouting "SLYTHERIN!" She stood and strode to her respective table gracefully.

"Finnegan, Fiona!" Professor Lenny called, flicking his orange hat away from his eye for the umpteenth time. Perhaps I could start counting to distract myself.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

I stood on my toes again in time to see a cheerful-looking girl skipping away from the stool and toward the thrilled Gryffindors, a long, sandy plait swaying behind her. Geller, Vincent joined her moments later. _Oh, Godric…_

"Harman, Lumos!" My throat swelled and my mouth ran dry. My stomach began doing an array of flips. I'm sure they were rather impressive. I was vaguely aware of Viola shoving me forward by the shoulder. _Right, move. _My vision tunneled in on the stool. And a tattered old hat; the hat that would determine my fate. I stepped forward…

And down I went, tumbling horrifically to the stone floor. Someone had stepped on the back of my heel, and if it wasn't James Potter then I was a hippogriff. Sure enough I turned to find him laughing hysterically and pointing, along with the rest of the Great Hall, barking out raucous laughs. Lenny cleared his throat again as he, too, had to lock in his laughs with a tightly-knit smile of reassurance. After a moment, the hall was hushed once more, except for Potter and his redheaded companion who clutched each other's shoulders in support of a horribly futile attempt to stifle their entertainment. He had the ever-glinting look of mischief in his hazel eyes.

I stood, dusting myself off, willing myself not to cry lest I truly become the Hogwarts laughing stock. Turning I offered Potter a maliciously warm smile, silently vowing my revenge, before I made my way to the stool and sat myself down with as much grace and dignity as I could muster. Before the sorting hat shaded over my eyes, I caught a hazel gaze in the crowd staring with great delight.

"_A Harman _witch_?" _And eerie voice echoed through my head. _"How very interesting… It's certainly been a long time… Centuries perhaps… So where to place such an extraordinary case, hmm? Such _power_, and yet it comes with inner strife. You'd do remarkably well in Slytherin…"_

I cringed, imagining myself in a tie any colors other than blue and bronze.

The hat seemed to take notice. _"No? Perhaps you might do _too _well in Slytherin at any rate. Yes, you are very bright, that much is clear. I suppose it'll have to be…_

"RAVENCLAW!"

The hat was lifted from my head and I could see again. Dazed and deliriously overjoyed, I walked over to the closest table to the right. Welcomed with exuberance and several sets of advice, I sat, surveying the table full of my new housemates; my new family.

"Quite the fall you took there," to my left, dark-haired Kirby Chambers sat, still grinning massively. "What'd you do to make Potter hate you?"

Frowning slightly at the terribly memory, I offered a shrug. "I wasn't aware he hated me until a moment ago. I don't recall doing anything to upset him."

He continued smiling. "Lumos, huh?"

"I've got a sister named Nox," I offered.

Laughing, he turned the guy to his left. "Get this Bhamra, her name's Lumos, right? And guess what her sister's name is, mate, guess!"

The boy leaned forward, greeting me with a smile that reached all the way to his warm, dark eyes. "Nox?" he asked. I nodded. He introduced himself as Devendra Bhamra. "But please, for the love of Godric, call me Dev. I only get Devendra when Mum's yelling at me."

The Corner twins introduced themselves as well. Sebastian was a soft-spoken bespectacled boy who seemed like a bit of an old soul while his sister, Millie, did more than enough talking for the both of them. Lexi Davies and Erica Novak seemed to only want to talk about quidditch and but they all seemed like they'd be easy enough to live with. Per contra, it was Cordelia Boot who I felt most akin to. The strawberry blonde lass was terrifically amiable with an incessant warm smile on her face and chocolatey eyes that seemed full of interest, even if you were comparing orcs to goblins. At my mentioning of my fondness for muggle novels, she latched onto me, spiritedly discussing her newest passion for American classic novels, describing in precise detail one in particular, _Lord of the Flies,_ she found _most intriguing_. It sounded a bit twisted.

"They ban so many of these books in muggle schools, it's terribly tantalizing, don't you think, Lou?"

Taken aback for a moment at being called Lou for the first time since leaving Nox behind, I felt suddenly, rather lonely. Though surrounded by my new family, none of them were Nox, and it left a hollow feeling biting grievously at the base of my throat. She would love this place. _All in due time she'll be here too, _I reminded myself.

"O'Malley, Chandler!"

"Gryffindor!"

"Ozai, Phoenix!"

"Slytherin!"

Cheers erupted again from the Slytherin table. "Potter, James!" The hall became eerily silent. Cordelia stared at the untidy-headed boy as he stepped forward, wearing a proud smile on his mug. The hall was still as stone, waiting for the judgment of Harry Potter's son. As he had predicted, James Potter was named a Gryffindor. They cheered themselves mad. An older boy with intriguing turquoise hair clapped James on the back who sat wearing the most pleased of expressions. He glanced my way, catching my eyes on him and smirked. I shook my head at him and turned my attention back to Cordelia who still chattered away merrily.

"Don't look now, but James Potter's staring at you!" she said with a giggle.

I peered through a curtain of hair, refusing to give him the satisfaction of my attention. Sure enough, his hazel gaze was set on me, a rather puzzled expression on his face. With a scoff, I decidedly emerged from my hair curtain and offered him a pointed glare. His look of puzzlement continued for a moment before he grinned back and sent a wicked wink my way. As he turned his attention to the girl desperately trying to converse with him, I hoped that would be the last interaction I'd have with him. I wondered what I had done to earn his cruel joke. He had been perfectly civil on the platform and when he helped me with my trunk. I recalled how Nox seemed to recognize him though I was entirely uncertain as to how. I'd have to owl her about it.

"He's rather cute, isn't he?" Cordelia asked.

I frowned. "I find him to be horribly pompous and rude."

She laughed, "And nice to look at."

I rolled my eyes as Lexi Davies nodded her head in vigorous agreement. "I'll bet he's brilliant at quidditch, too. Seeker, no doubt."

Millie Corner joined the discussion and before I could protest, second year girls had chimed in with enthusiasm as well. _Oh for the love of Merlin. _Refusing to participate, I turned my attention back to the sorting as Weasley, Dominique's name was called. I hadn't thought it was possible for a girl to be beautiful before maybe thirteen at least. A slender girl with long, silvery-blonde hair stepped from the significantly smaller group of first years and glided to the stool with enviable grace. Dev and Kirby's discussion about muggle football cut off instantly at the sight of her elegant frame seated like royalty on the dingy old stool. "I've heard about her," whispered Cordelia in my ear. I was pleased that she no longer felt inclined to discuss Potter's (debatable) attractiveness. "She's part veela, I think. Right Kirby? She's the veela one, yeah?"

Kirby shrugged. "I dunno, ask her brother, he's right there." He pointed a little ways down the table. Sitting amongst a group of presumable second-years was a boy with the same silvery-blonde hair as Dominique Weasley. He observed his sister as the hat slid over her set of large cerulean eyes with his own striking blue-grays. I stared, a bit stricken, and took no notice of the lovely girl being placed into Gryffindor. Her brother shrugged, as though he expected it. Then I recalled what Potter had said about his family being all Gryffindors. _"Except for Louis."_

"Louis Weasley!" Cordelia called, snatching me out of my trance.

The boy looked our way, seemingly intrigued. "Yeah?" he asked, a single light eyebrow shooting up.

Cordelia smiled at him and waved. "I'm Cordelia, and you're part veela, right?"

He smiled slightly. "That's right. An eighth. That's my sister that just got sorted; I'm assuming you know." His gaze fell on me for a moment and his smile grew a little. "And you've met my cousin James, haven't you?"

I growled inwardly. "Don't remind me, I beg of you." My scraped knee ached at the memory.

Louis Weasley laughed. It was a lovely sound. He wished us a welcome to Ravenclaw then turned back to the sorting. Weasley, Fred was next. Another cousin, I reckoned. Potter's tall, redheaded sidekick became a Gryffindor in an instant. Potter and Dominique Weasley cheered louder than perhaps anyone as Fred took his seat with them. Whitmore, Magnolia joined them right after. There were only a handful of kids left waiting to be sorted.

"Merlin, I could eat unicorn right now!" cried Sebastian Corner with a large frown. Everyone, including Millie, seemed taken aback by his outburst except for Kirby who slammed a fist on the table in agreement. Hearing this, I quite suddenly noticed that I was famished. My stomach growled, begging for nourishment.

"That'll be some bad Karma, mate," Dev stated, concerned. The way he rubbed at his stomach, though, told me that he might not have said no to a well-cooked unicorn steak himself.

Fortunately for the grumbling stomachs about the Great Hall, there were only three people left to be sorted: a foot-tapping boy with dark brown hair and a nervous expression, a chubby redhead who visibly shook, and Viola Zabini, ever expressionless. She was called forward first. Knowing she was going to be a Slytherin, I looked around me and decided I was content with my fellow Ravenclaws. And yet…

"Ravenclaw!"

The hat was lifted from her raven hair yet she did not stand. For the first time since meeting her on the train, I saw Viola Zabini wearing something other than unwavering calm on her face. She sat perfectly still and utterly agape. Professor Lenny cleared his throat and with that she stood, quick as a snitch, and dashed to my table, robes and dark hair swishing behind her. She fell onto the bench next to me with a loud exhale. "Bloody hell." I grinned hugely and threw my arms around her. Her shoulder shook against my cheek as she laughed a bit.

Zahn, William, the boy, became a Ravenclaw too and the frightened redhead, Zebelik, Anna was put in Hufflepuff.

"FOOOOOOOOOD!" a great bellowing war-cry filled the room as the Hufflepuffs finished their applause. All eyes were on Fred Weasley, fork in one hand, knife in the other. He sat wide-eyed and eager and all but seizing. The Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs laughed at the sight of him.

The laughs were short-lived as the headmaster stood, taking to a large, magnificent podium. She was a tall woman of severe manner and her stature, though strong, was a bit worn. Her gray hair was in a tight knot on the back of her head and she peered down at us over square glasses. Minerva McGonnagal was everything I was taught to expect.

"Good evening," her powerful voice filled the Great Hall. "Another year at Hogwarts has begun and to our new first years, I offer you welcome. May you grow and develop in more than just your magical capabilities in these seven years to come. They will pass quicker than you'll expect, so cherish every moment. To those who are returning to these halls, welcome back! Try to remember to balance your studies with your other hobbies and once again, swimming in the Black Lake is restricted unless you'd like an encounter with the giant squid. By all means, then, do eat up!" in an instant the platters along the table were filled with every type of food imaginable. I filled my plate with everything within reach, making sure to save room for chocolate chip cookies. The Ravenclaws were practically silent as we scarfed down. We feasted like royalty.

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With happy stomachs and groggy eyes, all students had filed out of the Great Hall and followed prefects to their respective common rooms. Ravenclaw Tower was a bit of a trek. I did my best to memorize the changing staircases and turning corridors. I hoped my tired mental notes would do as I attempted to navigate my way to classes tomorrow. Climbing up a spiral staircase, we came to a halt. Viola being the tallest, Cordelia and I demanded she look to investigate what was going on.

"Is it a portrait?" asked Cordelia eagerly.

Viola shook her head. "No, it's just a door. A big door with a bronze knocker. Miss Prissy Prefect just knocked." The prefect, Holly Westerfield was well kept, well versed, and offensively shirty. As Cordelia had put it: "she's got a right large stick up her arse." Viola had agreed and added that it was most likely mahogany.

"What has four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon and three legs in the evening?" a looming voice called. I smiled, recalling how Dad had always told me of the knocker's riddles:

"_Nox," Dad said suddenly during dinner. "What is so fragile, that even saying its name breaks it?"_

_Violet eyes closed, dark brows furrowed in thought. "Silence," I said, breaking our own small silence._

_Dad smiled. "Very good Loumie. Now, at night they come without being fetched, and by day they are lost without being stolen. What are they?"_

"_Dreams." I stated._

"_Stars!" cried Nox quickly._

_His own violaceous eyes crinkled with delight. "You're both correct!"_

_Later that night, I curled happily into the comfort of my bed. Just as I was closing my eyes, I was alerted to the familiar creak of my bedroom door opening. "Loumie," my father's voice called into the darkness of my room. "What loses its head in the morning and gets it back at night?"_

_I thought for a moment, turning over toward the small crack of light from the hall. Silhouetted in the doorway, my father stood waiting. "A pillow," I mumbled through a yawn. _

_I thought I could hear a grin creep onto his face. "There's a good girl. Don't let the doxies bite." And the door shut. I flipped my pillow over before pressing my cheek to the cold cotton and swiftly falling into a deep slumber._

Holly Westerfield turned and looked down at us from her highest step. "Well?" asked she with her chin turned up.

"Blind me, if I know," muttered Viola.

"Why, it's man!" I cried, waving my hand excitedly. "As infants we crawl on all fours, as adults we stride on two feet, and when we're old and decrepit, one might need help from a cane!"

The looming voice called out again, "Clever girl, that's correct." With a loud creak the door opened. Miss Prissy Prefect led us inside. I had never seen such a glorious sight. The room was humble enough in size, yet seemed to have the world to offer. Wide and circular with a midnight blue carpet, it was like stepping into a dream. Arched windows were hung with blue and bronze silks, and a domed ceiling was speckled with painted stars. The room was furnished with tables, chairs, and bookcases upon tall, beautiful bookcases; and by the door, presumably leading up to the dormitories, stood a tall statue of Rowena Ravenclaw made of shining white marble.

"This is the Ravenclaw common room!" announced Holly. "During the day, Ravenclaw students have an excellent view of the school grounds, including the lake, Forbidden Forest, Quidditch pitch, Herbology gardens and the mountains. You'll be able to find many useful books here and it is always well-kept. That door leads to the dorms. To get into the common room, you will have to answer a riddle each time, so as many of you gits couldn't even answer that simple question, I suggest you study up!" with that, she turned on her heel, opened the door by the marble statue and left the group of enthralled Ravenclaw first years to explore their new home.

"Merlin," stated Cordelia with an intake of breath. "It's perfect."

Viola sunk herself into a leather armchair and propped her feet up on a coffee table. "I could get used to this. And look!" she pointed to the bookshelf nearest to the fireplace. "There's even a Shakespeare section! How terrifically cultured."

"Forget that old fool," cried Cordelia. "They have Steinbeck!" She pulled several books from the various shelves and tucked them under her arm and sprawled out on a rug by the fire. I strolled over to the fireplace and sat at an adjacent armchair. The leather was surprisingly warm and the chair itself was delightfully cushy. _Oh yes, this will do just nicely._

The others followed Holly's suit and headed up to the dorms. Stifling a yawn, I was tempted to do the same, but I sat and stared at the fire. Orange and white, the flames lapped at the brick of the fireplace and my mind trailed off.

_Such _power_, and yet it comes with inner strife._

_Perhaps you'd do _too _well in Slytherin._

I thought it rather odd, what the hat had said. And I was rather confused as to why everyone seemed to be so interested in my being the first Harman witch. Yes, it had been ages since there was a girl from my father's side of the family, but surely it wasn't all that peculiar. There were stranger things.

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_**May 2017**_

"POTTER!" Out of breath and still running, I gave it my all up the hill. Legs pumping harder and harder, a mess of _putrid _mahogany hair came into view. I was fast, certainly, but Merlin, he was faster. "POTTER YOU STOP THIS INSTANT!"

"Or what, _Mum_?" he called over his shoulder with a laugh. Shoving the grand doors open, he continued his sprint into the Entrance hall. I followed suit, gulping in desperate gasps of air. Turning sharply toward the west wing where he was headed, my wet trainer slid with a piercing _squeak _and down I fell, onto the cobblestone. He stopped, turned and let out infuriating barks of laughter. "Alright there, Harman?"

I must have busted a vein. "NO POTTER I AM NOT ALRIGHT ONE IS NOT-" I paused, inhaling deeply. Students who had been passing by stopped to observe. No wonder. James Potter stood smiling merrily at the screeching girl on the floor who was dripping wet from head to toe. "One is not alright, _Potter_," I started again in a steely, cold voice, standing and shoving a finger in his face "after being unexpectedly shoved into the Black Lake, then having to chase the perpetrator of said unexpected shoving for miles!"

When he laughed again, I wanted to throttle him. "Silly little Harman," he said with an irritating smirk. "I did not _shove _you! You obviously tripped! And I'd hardly call it miles. It was really more up the hill by the lake, around the courtyard once or twice and once around the quad. Barely even a metre."

"Why, Potter? _Why? _Why must you incessantly torture me? Surely it gets a bit exhausting after ages of doing it, yeah?" I looked up at him with pleading eyes. I always did my best to be careful of my temper. Mum always said it was unbecoming to yell, and I truly agreed. Instead, I hoped that showing patience with the likes of Potter, he would eventually relent. This, however, resulted in no avail. Not when he hid doxies in my rucksack. Not the several times when he'd hit me with _petrificus totalus _– which always led to me being late to class, mind you! Not when he nicked all my trainers and threw them into the whomping willow. Not when, well, the list is fairly extensive. "Why, Potter?"

One hazel eye closed quickly in a wink. "Because it's a riot watching you go mad and then restrain yourself like the proper lady you are! Plus, I'm under strict orders."

"Pray, do tell _who!_" Who in Godric's name would James Potter possibly take orders from?

He shook his head. As always, his mess of locks flew into further disharmony. "Do not ask and I shall tell you no lies." And with that he dashed off down the hall, leaving the onlookers laughing.

As I stood, fuming, my two best friends caught up, wheezing from their run to catch up. "You just missed him," I stated in frustration. "He's 'under strict orders' to provoke me, evidently."

Corrie chuckled. "Who would James possibly listen to?"

"My thoughts exactly."

"Want me to jinx him, Lou?" Vi asked, seeming a bit hopeful.

I shook my head, water droplets flying. "No, I'll be rid of him soon enough. Though I would appreciate a towel." With that we headed toward Ravenclaw tower. It had been a particularly lovely Saturday morning. I had spent it with Vi and Corrie, basking in the sun by the lake before Potter and Weasley showed up and wreaked their usual havoc. I suspected the rest of the morning and afternoon would have to be spent hiding from Potter in either of the two places I knew for sure I'd never see him: the Ravenclaw common room and the library. In the common room, I was greeted by many questioning stares that I chose to ignore, heading straight for the dorms.

"Why are you soaking wet?" chirped the voice of Millie Corner. I quickly shed my robes and struggled to tug off my sodden tie and socks

"Potter," Vi replied simply. There was a synchronized response of 'Ohhhh' from Millie, Lexi, and Erica who all sat on Erica's bed, flipping through a copy of _Quidditch Illustrated. _It was not an unexpected response at this point. The entirety of first year had gone much the same. For whatever reason, Potter had chosen me as the receiving end for a great deal of his pranking and other such antics. While I was busy maintaining the best marks I could manage, all he seemed to care about what driving me mad. Double Herbology with the Gryffindors was a bit of a nightmare.

At lunch, I carefully avoided Potter's taunting gaze. I had asked an older girl from my house, Beatrice Fallon, to teach me a drying spell and thus the event was all but forgiven and forgotten. In a week, I would be home and I would no longer have to deal with Potter's irksome behavior. I could hardly wait.

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**Nox**

_**June 2017**_

We had been going at it all bloody day. It was a constant back and forth: her attacking with factual wits and I retorting with sarcastic aggression. Though the whole ordeal was wildly entertaining, I was growing rather bored with it. And I still stood by the fact that she had stained her own shirt.

"It's my favorite…" Lou whined for the umpteenth time, staring despairingly at the flowy, blue blouse in her hands. Mum had managed to get the spaghetti sauce off with a basic cleaning spell, but the damage had been done, there was a large oil stain, fully soaked into my sister's favorite shirt.

I shrugged, tugging the shirt from her hands and spinning it around my head like a turquoise flag. "Now you can have a new favorite."

She glared, green eyes electric with fury. "I don't _want _a new favorite, I wanted to wear that very specific shirt to Colin's birthday." She ripped it from my flailing hand and returned to sadly looking at the stain. "How old are you really?"

"Once again, I must insist that you are never too old for meatball catapults. You're just too boring and blinkered for fun anymore."

Lou rolled her eyes, gave me a scornful look then, finally, threw the shirt into the rubbish bin. With that she stormed out of the kitchen, down the hall and out of sight. Her stomping footsteps up the stairs and the slam of her bedroom door told me that she had no desire to be followed. I knew I oughtn't go into the sitting room either, where mom was on her knees, scrubbing furiously at a meatball sized stain on the bay window curtain. I would surely receive another icy scolding if I went in there. So I ventured that my best bet was to get some fresh air.

Dad was in the garden.

"Done causing trouble yet, Noxie?" He looked up from his hydrangeas, wiping sweat from his brow and smearing dirt along his forehead in the process.

I sat in the dirt; it was very warm from the beating sun. I tugged my mess of hair into a ponytail and wiped the collecting sweat from my own brow. _Merlin, it's hot. _"If you think so, you don't know me at all. It's only half past three. There's still time to burn the house down, not mention the Creeveys'."

He chuckled slightly, clipping at a protruding twig growing from the bush. "It was worth a shot. Your mother's not pleased, Nox. You ought to apologize." Before I could protest, he continued, "She loves you very much, little one. You two are just very different, so it's hard for you to understand one another. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try. And for the love of Godric, quick taking the mickey out of your sister."

I crossed my arms defiantly. "Someone at Hogwarts must've stuck a stick up Lou's – "

"Right," said Dad. "But she's your sister and as funny as it is to watch her go mad and then compose herself, you're a bit relentless. I know I can't stop your antics, and if I'm being honestly, I have no desire to. However, I'm sick of hearing your mother and sister complain to me about it so try to be less destructive, alright? And be more apologetic." He picked a cluster of hydrangeas and handed them to me. Their periwinkle color was lovely and their smell was even more enchanting. With a last smile, he turned back to his work and I was thus dismissed.

I sighed, annoyed, but decided, all the same, to heed my father's request. Dusting the dirt off of my shorts, I stood and returned inside, heading straight for the sitting room. There she was, gold hair disheveled and right arm moving swiftly. "If you ask me, I think the stain adds character." I said.

She became very still. Swiveling at her hip, Mum turned to look at me. Brown eyes, normally warm and inviting, were icy cold, like the garden in December, soil frosted and frozen solid. "Ah, but Nox, I don't believe I _did _ask you. In fact, the only thing I recall asking you was to put the meatballs down."

I snorted. "That was really more of a command, Mum." Her frown sank deeper. "But, yes, right. Erhmm, I'm sorry Mum. And these are for you." I hastily handed her the bushel of hydrangeas. They were her favorite, I remembered. _Very clever, Dad. _Her frown faltered a bit and when she returned her gaze back to me, the earth had defrosted a bit.

"Oh, Nox," said she. "I just do wish you were a bit more careful. Of course I can replace the drapes, they're a bit old anyways – "

"And not to mention a dreadful color," I added, eying the unfortunate green that looked akin to vomit.

She gave me a warning look. "But it's not just that. You have a horrid habit of getting yourself into trouble. You'll be starting school in a matter of months and I don't want to be hearing from headmaster on a daily basis about your antics or be hearing from the nurse that you've injured yourself with some type of explosives."

I kept my eyes straight on her, instead of allowing them to roll to the ceiling. "I highly doubt it'll be on a daily basis, Mum. Perhaps weekly."

She smiled, standing and coming closer to where I stood hesitantly in the doorway. She placed her hands on my shoulders and leaned down, reaching eye level with me. Spring seemed to have dawned in her eyes; flowers could bloom. "Darling, I love you. You're such a bright young witch. I just don't want to see you not living up to your potential, you understand?"

Offering her a grin, I nodded. "Yes Mum, love you too." I watched as she picked up the curtain and carried the horrific draping thing into the kitchen where it promptly joined Lou's shirt in the bin. She then placed her cluster of little blue flowers in a cup of water. Mum then suggested I talk to my sister.

I begrudgingly complied.

Her door was locked. I knocked twice, loudly. On the other side, I could hear an owl – Ringo – fluffing up his feathers as Lou promptly told me to bugger off. I knocked again.

"I said _bugger off, _brat!" she shouted. Merlin, was she cheesed off.

"Don't be thick," I insisted, pressing my cheek to the door. "You know I'm getting in this room one way or another. I'd much rather not have to do it the difficult way."

She snorted; very unladylike. "I've charmed the lock, so don't bother picking it!"

It was evident I'd have to do things the really hard way, then. "Mum!" I called downstairs. "I'm sorry for breaking Lou's door!"

"_What?" _the voices of both Lou and my mother called in unison.

I stepped back, pressing myself to the wall parallel to the door and dashed forward as hard and fast as I could manage. With a sickening _crack_ – I wasn't certain that it was from me or the door – it was released from its hinges and fell to the floor in a commotion. From where she sat on her bed, Lou's eyes were protuberant with shock, her mouth hanging open rather comically.

"NOX!" thundering footsteps came stampeding up the stairs. In an instant our mother was standing in the door frame where the door once stood, fully attached. Her face grew red. Then pink. Then a ghostly white. But, as always, Mum returned to her usual stoicism. With a stern look, a quick wave of her wand, and a quick mutter of _Reparo _the door flew back to it's previous, hinged home and she disappeared with a slam of the door.

"H-how in the wizarding world did you do that, Nox?" Lou asked, her eyes still huge with amazement.

I offered her a usual shrug. "Running start." Rubbing at my shoulder where I took most of the hit, there was no denying the impact had hurt just a bit. "Look, I'm sorry about your top. And for being annoying, I guess. You used to think I was funny y'know." I plopped down next to her on her quilt-coated bed, falling onto my back.

Her room was decorated in a simple plan: painted a charming shade of mint, with maple bookshelves lining the full length of one of the walls and enchanted, moving paintings on the others, and three large windows dumping sunlight onto the floor, it was an extremely _pleasant _place.

She turned her green eyes down on me. "You are funny. But sometimes you're a bit inconsiderate."

"Yeah," I admitted with another shrug.

"And destructive," she added.

I nodded. "This is true."

She fell onto her back as well, staring at the ceiling fan that chugged along in a feeble attempt to cool the room. "I've had enough of foolishness and pranking."

"How very Ravenclaw of you," I said, trying my best to masque my disappointment at her words.

She emitted a mournful sigh. "You'll learn."

I decided I had no further desire to continue discussion. I reckoned that I would, indeed, have to learn once I was in Ravenclaw. But I wondered if I even wanted to be in Ravenclaw at all if I'd come back as dull as my sister had. Of course, I'd be sorted there. I was bright enough, I knew. But it wasn't only that. My family had all been in Ravenclaw from both sides of the family for generations, with the exception of one Hufflepuff second cousin on Mum's side that no one really talked about.

How terrific, yeah? Either I become a dreadfully boring Ravenclaw or I become a long-lost second cousin that no one really talks about. Hogwarts here I bloody come!

"I'm sorry about your top," I said again before standing. "Last meatball catapult ever, I solemnly swear."

"Next time it'll be banoffee pie, I'm sure. But it's quite alright. See ya, Nox."

In the hallway, I said "see ya," before closing the door behind me.

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The Creeveys were always big on birthdays. Every June they would make a massive cake for Colin and invite all the wizarding families they knew to attend. Kit didn't much like cake so they would buy loads and loads of fireworks and explosives and set them off in The Field. This year, as Kit would be at school for his birthday, there would be a very large cake and some fireworks too.

The sun was beginning to set as we walked toward the Creevey manor, posted on top of one of the smaller hills in the area. Crossing through the small valley that we affectionately referred to as The Field, their house was conveniently close to our own. Orange rays of sunlight danced around, running from the ever approaching full moon. The last of the rays were disappearing below the horizon as we approached their front door.

"Hello Harmans!" Mr. Creevey bellowed as he opened the door. It was evident that he already had more than a few butterbeers.

"Dennis!" cried Dad, eagerly entering the bustling household. Mum followed suit and headed off to find Mrs. Creevey. It was all the commotion inside. Who knew that many people liked Colin?

The boy himself approached. "Alright girls?" A big grin on his face, he led us out of the foyer and into the sitting room where many kids of many ages sat around chatting. "Potter! Look who's here!"

"Oh no," Lou muttered at my side.

James Potter stood from the floor cushion he sat on and approached happily. "Brilliant! Harman you never said goodbye!"

She glared. "Okay. Bye, Potter!" and with that she stormed off, leaving James and Colin laughing. I assumed that Potter had most definitely heeded the request I made almost a year ago.

"Alright, Nox?" James asked, turning to me.

I nodded. "I take it the mission's going well?"

"Brilliant, Captain. The target has been hit. Multiple times!" He grinned a very wicked grin and I couldn't help but mimic it.

"Ace! But I think I can take over now."`

James Potter frowned for possibly the first time ever. "Not a bloody chance, dwarf. I like pranking your sister far too much to let the amateur likes of you do it."

I was appalled. The nerve of this git. "Pardon me, but she's _my _sister! And I'll have you know, I'm no amateur. I've been doing this for years."

"Doubtlful," he replied snidely. "You don't have the same resources and standards that I do."

I stuck a finger in his face threateningly. "You'll eat those words, Potter. Now, Colin, OI, COLIN! Where's ya brother?"

Colin Creevey had been talking to a very pretty girl and lazily pointed to the stairs. Before heading up, I looked to Potter and offered a small smile. "'Bye, Potter!"

He grinned cheekily. "Be seeing you, little Harman."

"That you will."

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><p><strong>AN: **Thanks for reading! Like I said, this isn't my favorite piece of work here, I've been struggin along with it for a while. I'm really trying to get to the good stuff. I don't know how much I like writing from Lumos's perspective to be honest, so I don't think I'll be exploring her more until she grows some. There will loads more James, Fred and Kit in the chapters to come which I'm getting pretty excited about! I've also been considering switching to third person for bits or perhaps all of it but I don't know for certain yet. I'm just trying to let them lead the way!

Please let me know what you guys think! Big love


	4. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: As an update, no, I still do not own the HP Universe. I am not JK Rowling, I'm just a simple clam tryna get by in life and write some sub par fanfiction. With that being said, THANK YOU FOR READING MY STORY! I've explored a little bit of third person in this chapter. I'm trying to decide if I'll switch to it completely or just incorporate it into the story here and there. Let me know what you think, my dear, darling reader._

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><p>The room, as always, was very dark. Though her eyes were adjusting a bit faster than usual. She immediately peered to the corner, where she knew someone would be seated in the shadows. The woman stood from her chair upon being sighted, her shadow moving swiftly across the wall as she moved. With her hand on the handle of the door, she turned to face the girl, her robes swishing silently around her. The girl struggled to make out the features of the mysterious woman in the dark but noted a faint silver glow that seemed to emanate from her as she smiled. Bright white teeth shined as they formed a crescent grin like the moon.<p>

"Not yet, child," the woman's voice echoed through the small room as though it were an amphitheater. With that, she opened the door casting a blinding light and swept from the room. The girl noted the woman's curling midnight hair dancing behind her before the door closed with a _click_, bathing the room in shadowy darkness once more.

And then she woke up.

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**September 1, 2017**

With a start, Nox Harman bolted upward, shaking her head clear of the dream. It had been a long time since she'd had it last, and as always it left her with a most curious feeling. She spared a glance at the alarm clock sitting on the cherry bedside table. Seeing that it wasn't quite eight o'clock, she fell back against her pillow with a grunt, tugging her duvet over her head. Any time before noon was far too early for her taste. However, the luxury of going back to sleep would not be hers today. For mere moments after curling back up, Nox recalled exactly what day it was. Abruptly sitting up once again, a broad smile spread on her face.

Kicking off her sheets frantically and stumbling to the window, she tugged the blinds up with great gusto, spilling sunlight onto her floor. Rubbing her fists at a pair odd coloured eyes, Nox panicked a bit, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the light at the mess of various things strewn about her floor.

Without invite or expectation, Nox's bedroom door flew open revealing her sister standing expectantly in the frame of it.

"Oh good, you're up!" Lumos said cheerfully, stepping into the messy room with a slight look of disgust. "And of course you haven't packed yet, have you? You know we've got to leave in about an hour."

Nox, who had taken to haphazardly tossing things into her trunk, cast a menacing look at her sister through a curtain of dark, messy hair. "Haven't you heard of knocking, Lou?"

Smiling, Lumos stepped further into the room and lifted the open trunk onto Nox's unmade bed. She began straightening the various spellbooks, stacking them neatly and folding Nox's clothes and robes. Nox did not protest, but instead started handing her things directly to her sister for her to pack. Within ten minutes, the pair had reduced the mess of the younger sister's floor to a small pile of dirty clothes in the corner and her trunk was fully packed.

While Lou quickly made the bed, Nox locked up her trunk and hastily put on a pair of jeans and an old Puddlemere United t-shirt. She looked at her older sister, feeling rather satisfied and grinned. Lumos smiled back. The two were extremely comparable. Where Lumos was composed, Nox was wild and disorganized. Though, it was evident they made a fairly good team.

"Excited?" Lumos asked her younger sister who would be heading to Hogwarts for the first time today. She had to admit, she was rather excited herself. She reckoned that her sister would finally learn to mature a bit. Perhaps, the incessant pranking would end.

Nox nodded vigorously. "Thrilled!" Her smile broadened, becoming toothier. She hoisted up her trunk and headed out the door and downstairs with her sister in tow. "Though, I do wish I could bring a broom," she sounded extremely disappointed. "Bit annoying that first years can't have 'em."

Rolling her eyes, Lumos laughed a bit. "I can only imagine the havoc you'd wreak if you were allowed on a broomstick there."

Nox turned on the landing of the stairs to cast a wicked look at her sister. "All in due time!"

In the kitchen, their mum and dad sat round a large mahogany table. Mr. Harman's dark hair and a strip of a pale forehead was all that was visible behind the day's _Daily Prophet. _Mrs. Harman sipped happily from a cup of green tea and smiled at her girls as they entered the room. "Fancy something to eat, Nox?" she asked, standing from her seat.

Nox shook her head, dark waves falling wildy around her shoulder. "I'm not hungry, thanks." She yawned a bit and fell sloppily into the chair next to the one her mother had abandoned. "Though I wouldn't say no to a spot of coffee."

At this, Mr. Harman lowered his newspaper, flattening it to the table with long-fingered hands. "The little one's a bit young for coffee, don't you reckon, Matilda?" A single thick eyebrow arched up as he gave his youngest daughter a bemused look.

Mrs. Harman crossed her arms from where she stood and gave Nox a similar look, clicking her tongue on her teeth a bit. "Yes, I don't think you need any caffeine in your system."

Lumos, however, disagreed. "You'll rue that when we all have to suffer through her infernal snoring, the whole trip there."

Slamming her fist on the table, rattling her mum's teacup, Nox's own dark brows furrowed. "I do _not _snore! C'mon Mum, I've been drinking coffee for ages."

"Well I certainly wasn't aware of this." But none the less she poured her daughter a cup and returned to her tea as Mr. Harman returned to his paper. "Drink up quick then, we've got to leave soon. The Creeveys will be here in ten minutes, I expect. Lumos, have you got Ringo in his cage? Yes? Go on and fetch him then, and your trunk." She then turned on her husband, snatching the prophet from his hands, much to his dismay. "Jack, will you please put Nox's trunk in the car."

"Certainly," he obliged and snatched up the large black trunk that lay on the kitchen floor and headed out the front door.

"Nox," Mrs. Harman said. Her tone was a bit stern, but she smiled warmly down her youngest. Nox grunted from behind her coffee in response. As Matilda Harman dashed around the kitchen, she waved her wand gracefully, sending the plates and cups from breakfast flying neatly into the sink. "Have you got everything?" She asked as she continued cleaning.

"Yeah, Lou's helped me pack this morning," Nox responded, lazily petting the family dog, Max with her bare feet as he licked fallen crumbs from the tile floor.

"Have you got all your books?"

"Yes."

"Your robes?"

"Yup."

"How about quills? Did you pack extra?"

"Mmhmm."

"Have you got your wand?"

Nox shot up from her seat, frightening Max who dashed out of the room, barking. _Where did I put my wand?_ She ran from the room immediately, nearly knocking her sister over as they crossed paths on the landing. Storming into her room, Nox ran frantically in all directions, throwing her room into a deeper state of disarray than it had been in the morning. "Blast it all, where in the hell is that bloody wand?" Throwing back the blankets on the bed her sister had so kindly made for her, she still had no such luck.

Falling to her knees, she peered into the darkness under her bed, reaching frantically, shoving aside old magazines, socks and –

Grasping it firmly, she pulled the wand out from under her bed, grinning triumphantly. She smiled down at the beautiful thing and recalled receiving it:

_A distant tinkling bell sounded as she stepped into Ollivander's. She peered up at the towering shelves, intrigued. Next to her, young, and equally as curious, Kit Creevey stepped toward a shelf, pulling a long, thin box randomly from it._

"_That one will be a bit too short for you, young Mister Creevey."_

_Nox and Kit both jumped immediately at the sudden, icy voice. Turning, they saw Mr. Ollivander behind his counter, having appeared without a sound. "I have been looking forward to your arrival in particular Miss Harman," he said, eying her with striking silvery eyes and a rather odd smile on his lips._

_Nox stared back, seemingly unfazed. Kit returned the box to its place and they both stepped forward._

_Moving surprisingly swiftly for his age, Mr. Ollivander turned and disappeared behind a tall shelf, emerging with a different box. "Mister Creevey, you'll want one that you can grow into. Give this one a go. Apple, dragon heartstring, twelve inches, a bit bendy."_

_Almost as soon as Kit had his fingers around the apple-wooded wand, Ollivander had snatched it back, tucking it back into its box and disappearing 'round the shelf one more. It took two more similar attempts before a wand emitted pleasant orange sparks the moment it touched Kit's hand: dogwood, unicorn hair, eleven and a half inches, nice and supple. He was still smiling merrily at his new wand, waving it about foolishly, sending sparkling jets of multicoloured light every which way, when Mr. Ollivander once again sent a pointed, silver stare Nox's way._

"_Most intriguing to see another Harman _witch…_" he seemed to be muttering to himself as he turned and searched the shelf directly behind him. "Yes, powerful magic, I expect. This one won't do. Perhaps…" He turned abruptly on Nox who merely widened her eyes and offered the strange man a smile. "Cypress, ten inches, dragon-heartstring, rigid." Like with Kit, the wand was in her hand for barely a second before Ollivander snatched it away, muttering still. "No, no, no. Ah, let's see here…" He handed her another wand, this one was a bit reddish in color. "Cedar, eleven inches, unicorn hair – No, no, no."_

_She must have been handed a dozen wands when a rather exasperated Ollivander sighed, peering down at her with those very strange eyes. Nox looked back, expectantly and a smidge impatiently._

_Mr. Ollivander rubbed at his chin with a single bony finger. "Most intriguing… It very well could be…" He disappeared once more, this time he was gone a bit longer than before, emerging from the shelves with an eager glint in his mysterious eyes. "Miss Harman, if you'll try this…" He delicately handed her the wand. She peered down at it. It was quite pretty, she decided. Though most of the length of it was rather crude, as though it was simply cut from its tree directly, the handle of it said otherwise where there were intricate swirls and what appeared to be stars carved into the light wood. Grasping it firmly, she was greeted by a warmth in her palm and before even giving it a wave, Nox knew this wand was hers. She swished it quickly through the air; it lit up brightly from the tip, casting a warm glow on its smiling mate before the light shot up, away from the tip of the wand and burst into a small shower of twinkling sparks earning an "oooohh" from an eagerly observing Kit Creevey._

_Nox turned back to Ollivander, grinning massively._

_He returned the smile, with an undeniable look of great curiosity etched on his lined face. "Holly, phoenix tail-feather, just under ten inches – yes, I'd say it's nine and 7/8__ths _– _and it's quite whippy. It is most intriguing indeed, Miss Harman, as the wood and the core is a very odd pairing. Such a pairing will wield very powerful magic and I haven't sold a wand of this pairing since Harry Potter, himself, was in my shop some years ago."_

_Nox thought her smile would never fade. She had the same type of wand as Harry Potter? She would be a powerful sorceress, she felt sure of it with her new wand feeling so at home in her left hand. "Thanks, Mr. Ollivander. I'll use it well!" She said with a small mock-salute._

"_Oh, I expect you will. There's also a bit of billywig stinger in there; another rarity – this one reserved for those with humor in their hearts." _

_With laughs and waves, Nox and Kit handed over seven galleons each and left the shop, the tinkling bell sounding once more in the distance. _

Now, as Nox stared down once more at the holly wand with its intricate designs, it still felt just as at home. At the sound of her name being called downstairs, she hastily tucked it behind her ear before leaving her room, the door closing behind her with a resounding _click._

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Nox – would you – Kit! – stoppit – OUCH!" rubbing at her head where she'd just been kicked, Lumos stumbled out of the enchanted car lacking her characteristic grace. Meanwhile, Nox and Kit stood from the pavement where they had landed after throwing themselves forcefully out of the vehicle.

"Sorry, Lou," said Kit, not actually sounding very sorry at all.

It had been a very long ride. Kit had taken great pleasure in pretending to know the words to the muggle songs playing on the radio and singing them rather loudly at random intervals. Though Lumos and Colin had found it amusing the first few times, the humour in it wore thin an hour or so into the car ride. Nox, however, took to handling back-up vocals, and though her voice wasn't unbearable, the gibberish lyrics she and Kit had made up were; particularly in the song about Colin's big bum.

Colin too clambered out of the blasted muggle contraption in a huff. He eagerly grabbed his trunk and his sleeping, old owl from the back and began heading off, leading the way.

Inside, the station was bustling with frantic movement. Nox stared 'round in untamed excitement. It was easy to spot wizarding families rushing to their destination by those who glanced frantically at the large clock that read 10:40 AM.

That, and those who had caged, hooting owls in tow with them.

"C'mon girls!" cried Mrs. Creevey, struggling to keep up with Colin and Kit. "Or the boys'll run off without us."

Mrs. Harman was in a state of sheer panic, pushing Nox along slightly at her shoulders who turned in annoyance and shouted "Mum, quit it!" She dashed forward, leaning onto the handle of her trolley so that she glided along, away from her 'crazy mum.'

The barrier between Platforms Nine and Ten loomed into her view. She tugged her ticket from her pocket where it read that she'd have to be at Platform 9 ¾ for the train to Hogsmeade station that left at eleven o'clock sharp. _Just in time, _she thought triumphantly, not understanding what all the fuss was about.

"Go on, Dennis, you and Colin go," ordered Mrs. Creevey.

Mr. Creevey and Colin peered around them before running at the barrier and disappearing from sight. "Nox, why don't you go with Kit? I'll wait for your Mum, Dad and Lumos." She smiled at the two soon-to-be-first-years encouragingly.

Nox moved to stand next to her sandy headed friend, each of them grasping their trolleys tightly and staring at the barrier with a look of determination. With a quick nod at each other, the pair took to a run.

The scarlet steam engine was as beautiful as always. Nox smiled, violet eyes bright, because this time she'd be getting on it.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

**Nox**

Mum would not let go of me.

"Alright, Mum," I pleaded. "I'm gonna miss the train!" But still she held on tight. Peering over her shoulder and up at my dad, I gave him a begging look.

He coughed. "Matilda, think I could hug the kid goodbye as well?" he asked, amused. Finally, she relinquished her hold with a dramatic sniff, wiping a tear from her eye.

Dad wrapped me quickly in one of his traditionally short hugs. As Mum cried "Be good!" he muttered, "have fun," with a wink and a light shove on the back toward the train. Lou gave Mum one last hug before lifting her trunk and Ringo's cage from the ground. We climbed on just as the train was beginning to move and clambered down the busy corridor. With Lou in the lead, I wondered if I would see Kit again before the sorting. _Will I even see him when we're in separate houses? _

"Corrie!" Lou cried suddenly. She dropped her trunk – and it landed on my bloody foot! Lou dashed down the corridor at her friend Cordelia Boot. "Where's Vi?"

I soon found myself squeezed on a bench between two rather burly Ravenclaw boys. One of them eyed me with a rather amused expression. "What?" I questioned him.

He shrugged. "You've got odd, eyes, you do," he said, dusting a tuft of dark hair out of his eyes.

"Chambers, leave the girl alone," said Viola Zabini with a pointed look. The boy simply shrugged again. The other boy turned his own warm, brown eyes on mine as well and I was beginning to feel a bit strange sitting in this compartment. Lou was no help either as she chatted animatedly with Viola or Cordelia, seemingly paying no mind to her little sister being scrutinized by her mates. Though it wasn't until two more girls joined the party that I decided I would be finding my own way.

Standing, I declared that I was going to go find Kit. Lou frowned a bit but did not protest as I bid farewell to Kirby Chambers and Dev Bhamra, pleased to be free of their broad shoulders. Making my way down the corridor, I peeked into the surrounding compartments, hoping desperately to find Kit and begin some form of plotting. The prospect of this brought a smile to my face.

"Oi, whatchu smilin' for, firstie?" I hadn't been paying much attention and nearly walked right into someone. Peering up, I met a very unpleasant face. Call me a bit biased, though I don't particularly care, but Antonia Flint is the ugliest creature to touch Hogwarts. With dark, dull eyes, a square set of shoulders, and perhaps the nastiest sneer permanently etched upon that horrid mug of hers, she looked a bit like a pit-bull that had recently taken a kick to the side. And there she was sneering down at me. "I asked you a question."

I glared back defiantly, crossing my arms. She was much larger than me, but I wasn't about to take cheek from the likes of her. "Oh, because I'm ever so glad that I don't look like you."

As her face lit up in a violent shade of crimson, I began to question whether or not I should have held my tongue. "You're dead!" The next thing I know, I'm shoved against the wall of the corridor with her hairy arm pressed painfully at my throat. Without thinking, I reached up and grabbed my wand from behind my ear, though I wasn't exactly sure what I'd do with it.

However, no useless wand waving was necessary. "Leave her alone, Flint!" a stern voice demanded from behind her large frame. She turned, pressing her arm harder to my neck. Determined not to let out a cry of pain, I wriggled in a rather feeble attempt to break free.

"Whatchu gonna do about it, Potter?"

But I didn't find out yet, for, with all the force I could muster, I stomped hard on her foot. Flint let out a gasp of pain as her arm loosened its hold just enough for me to slip away. Before I could get past her, though, there was a sudden blast and a flash of light and Flint let out another cry of pain. She then was nothing but a retreating shape, with odd, bogey-like things flapping around her head.

"You're welcome."

James Potter was leaning, rather smugly, in the door of a compartment, twirling his wand idly in his fingers. Replacing my wand behind my ear, I crossed my arms again. "I could've handled it myself."

He smirked, hazel eyes bright. "Yeah? Didn't look like that was going so well. So, again, you're welcome." The others who had been observing out of their own compartments continued their ogling, hopeful.

"I had it sorted," I insisted, glaring. He simply snorted a bit, but then gestured for me to enter his compartment.

I obliged, deciding I could spare a moment from my Kit-finding quest in case Flint returned with a troop of big, Slytherin mates. The compartment was rather full. Potter listed off the group before me rather rapidly: Dom, Chance, Fiona, Vincent, and Fred Weasley whose bronze form I recognized immediately.

"Hiya, Nox," Fred said. I was rather surprised he remembered me. "Have a seat next to me, won't you?" He patted the small area of bench left next to him. I wondered if I'd even be able to fit. The willowy blonde girl, _Fiona? No, that one's Dom, _scooted aside welcomingly. "Had a go at Flint already, have you?" He asked as I stepped over the two other blokes' game of exploding snap which they both seemed deeply involved in.

"She'll have your head, she will," said the dirty blonde in a vaguely Irish lilt._ Must be Fiona. _"And you're just a wee thing!" Fiona grinned as I wondered how I kept ending up in compartments full of second years.

"A dwarf, some might say!" said Potter with a cheeky grin from his seat in between Fred and one of the other Blokes.

A low growl rumbled in my throat. "Shove off, Potter!"

"Oooh, I like her!" chimed Dom as she patted my head affectionately. I grinned at her.

One of the exploding snap blokes cursed loudly at the game, throwing his cards down. He turned his attention to Potter instead. "What was that hex you used on Flint, mate?"

"Bat-bogey, was it?" Fred asked.

Potter grinned, nodding. He, Fred, Chance and Vincent then delved into a conversation about whether or not they'd be trying for the quidditch team. Potter seemed fairly (overly) sure that he'd make it. In lieu of arguing tactics with the gents, I took the opportunity to get to know Dom. It turned out she was also a member of the huge Potter-Weasley clan, much to my surprise. I was also interested to discover that two of her cousins would be in my year. When I told her I'd most likely be in Ravenclaw, she seemed slightly disappointed. "Well, perhaps Rosie will be in Ravenclaw too. She's brilliant. She's got Aunt 'Mione's brains."

"Yeah, and Uncle Ron's temper," added Fred with a slight grimace. "But I reckon she'll be Gryffindor. Can't have another Louis in the family."

"My family's all been Ravenclaws," I said. "Mum and Dad and practically all of my ancestors were. My sister too."

"Who's ya sister, Nox?" Fiona asked from her seat next to Potter.

"Lumos. Mum really likes the matching names. It's odd, I know," I stated with an eye roll.

Fiona looked rather shocked. "Harman? I would never have known! She's so nice! Not that you aren't, of course. You two just seem very…"

"Opposite," finished Vincent who hadn't spoken to me yet. The others nodded in agreement and I couldn't deny it. Of course, this wasn't news in the slightest. At the mention of my sister, though, I became a bit troubled. Things hadn't been the same between us since she returned from Hogwarts; it was something I had slightly expected, and even feared. But I had thought that joining her on the Hogwarts Express for the first time would have changed that. Evidently I'd have to force myself into her company more often than I had initially intended. And the prospect of pestering her improved my mood enough.

Once the lunch trolley had come and I had purchased enough cauldron cakes to feed a Hungarian Horntail, I decided it was about time for me to find Kit and possibly some other students in my year.

"The Creevey bloke?" Potter asked when I announced my intentions of finding my mate. "I'm pretty sure I saw him with Al. Just down a little ways. I'll escort you, little lady."

"I'm certain I can handle it just fine on my own," I insisted stubbornly. Potter certainly had charisma, but I wasn't particularly keen on being treated like a child. But the prat followed me out the door anyways, smirking again.

He eyed me as we walked. "What's with the wand?" he asked, motioning toward my ear.

"I like it there," I responded with a shrug. He let out a single bark of laughter.

"Y'know, I reckon you won't be a Ravenclaw."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Won't be surprised in the slightest if you wind up in Gryffindor, the way you told off Flint. I'll be chuffed to bits about it too 'cos then I'll get to annoy you _all the time!_"

I offered him another glare. "Now that you mention it, I think I'd rather like being a Ravenclaw, thanks. Or perhaps Hufflepuff. Or Slytherin. Anything _but _Gryffindor."

He chuckled and I punched him hard in the arm. He yelped, much like a dog and I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Kit, it turned out, was indeed with Albus Potter. Rose Weasley was in their company as well. With a warm welcome, Kit introduced me to the others whose company he had been keeping. I was introduced to a set of peculiar twins with protuberant blue-grey eyes and a rather dreamy look about them. They were rather quiet and an undeniably curious pair; I wondered if perhaps they were telepathic, as one would occasionally stop staring out the window, pay no regard to anyone else and simply look at the other pensively, eyes massive as ever, laugh softly to themselves and then return to observing the passing landscape. I decided not to bother with their names at the time, though I kept a fascinated eye on them.

There was also a charming girl named Evangeline Corsetti who raved about how she had to beg her parents to let her come to Hogwarts instead of _L'Incantesimo _school in Italy where her entire "crazy Italian family of rigatoni eating fools" had attended school.

"Of course, years ago we moved to London when Papa got transferred to the English Ministry of Magic, but they still were mad enough to think I'd be pleased about going to L'Incantesimo when I'm utterly pants at speaking Italian." I noticed that she used her hands a lot when she spoke. She was extraordinarily entertaining company.

Potter, I noticed, still stood in the doorway speaking quietly to his brother with a trademark smirk on his face while Albus Potter seemed considerably distressed. At a certain point, the younger Potter flitted his emerald eyes in my direction for a fraction of a second as James continued muttering to him. Albus let out a low chuckle and shook his head. With that, James left without as much as a "Bye, Nox, you've been wonderful company, I think you're fantastic," which I felt was terribly inconsiderate and rude of him.

"Jamie's mentioned you," said Rose Weasley in an indecipherable tone. I stared at her, trying to determine what to make of the girl. I'd heard from Dominique that she was brilliant, but I wondered if she was the upturned-nose type of intelligent. Or perhaps, I hoped, she was the type to use her brain power for a good cause, like a gut-busting good laugh. In the end, it was the sharp look in her keen, brown eyes that told me that she oughtn't be messed with. That was the deciding factor in the bushy-headed Rose Weasley equation: I liked her.

Upon determining this, I responded: "Has he? Don't believe a word he's said. Unless he's said good things, in which case I'd like to encourage you to believe every word he's said." I eyed Albus, trying to gauge his reaction in the hopes that I could deduce what he and James had been mumbling about.

"Well," said Albus, noting my gaze "he's mostly talked about your sister. Tough names to forget."

"Coming from a boy named Albus Severus Potter."

Evangeline Corsetti let out a breathy gasp. "You're Harry Potter's Albus?"

"I can't imagine there can be many others named Albus," said a sudden, airy voice. One of the twins had spoken up. I asked him his name once more. He reminded me that he was Lysander and his brother was Lorcan. Their last name? _Scamander!_ And here I had Potters and Weasleys commenting on _my _name left and right while they were family friends with boys named Lorcan and Lysander Scamander. How totally bizarre, yeah? Such a strange clan.

"But your father!" cried Evangeline, even louder this time, hands flailing wildly about. "He's Harry Potter!"

Albus Potter seemed unaffected. "That he is." Though I noticed the slightest of pink hues had painted his cheeks and neck. Rose, on the other hand, was rolling her eyes dramatically.

"_Dio mio!_" exclaimed the girl. She began pulling at her thick curls of dark hair, eying Albus with a look of wonderment. Kit chuckled.

The rest of the ride went by painstakingly, all in agreement that we were terribly eager to get there. I learned that the twins were close, family friends with the Potters/Weasleys as their mum went to school with Al and Rose's parents. Kit, whose dad was in the Auror department at the Ministry, was also somewhat familiar with the Potters and Weasleys. Evangeline and I quickly learned that Al didn't much like to be bothered about it. He was a bit soft spoken but was in no way unkind. Then there was Rose who truly was brilliant; she recited words straight out of the spellbooks and other literacies that I hadn't even opened since buying. One of her favorites to quote was _Hogwarts: A History. _Meanwhile, Lysander and Lorcan spoke up only occasionally to add a strange comment to conversation. One of them – I couldn't tell which – mentioned invisible beings called 'wrackspurts' at which point I decided they were both utterly mad. For a long trip, though, it was a great laugh.

The joy continued when Lou made a reappearance!

"Oh hello, Kit! I'd been wondering where you'd ran off to," said Lou, smiling down at him.

"And no concern for the whereabouts of your dear sister?" I asked, quirking a brow up at her.

With an affronted look, she turned on me. "Yes, well I'd heard you'd gone wandering off with Potter. I'd also heard that you attacked that Flint girl. Nox, do you really want to be starting trouble before you've even arrived."

"Why yes. Yes I do."

Lou scowled. "I think it would be in your best interest to avoid Potter from now on. He gets more detentions than the entire population of Hogwarts combined and Mum will have your head if you follow that sort of lead. He's bad news."

"She's not wrong," agreed Rose, failing to defend her cousin. Al remained passive, keeping his mouth firmly shut, though his almond-shaped eyes squinted as though he was suppressing a laugh.

I, on the other hand was furious. "I hardly even like the bloke myself, Lou, so you can untwist your knickers about that. And I'll have you know that I'm certainly not interested in following anyone else's lead. In fact, I bet I can beat Potter's detention record on my own!

"Also, should you care to know, Flint went after me first. She deserved what she got. I'm just sorry I didn't hex her myself."

With an exasperated sigh, she shook her head. But a slow, small smile curled upon her lips and for a fraction of a moment, it was as though she'd never turned into mini-Mum. "Right," she said. "Well, I've mainly come to tell you that you'd better get your robes on, I expect we'll be arriving soon." She allowed herself to smile a bit wider, flicked a finger at my wand sticking out from behind my ear with a laugh, and glided away.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

**James**

The Great Hall fell silent as Professor Lenny raised the long scroll that held the names of this year's firsties. I scanned the crowd that stood before him and found Al appearing quite unstrung. Standing next to him, Rose looked equally as anxious, tugging relentlessly at the ends of her big ginger hair. Lorcan and Lysander were close by as well, simply watching Lenny with their usual odd stare. Then there was Little Harman and the Creevey bloke, chatting merrily as though their fate was not mere moments away from being determined. McGonagall, who looked exhausted and annoyed, cleared her throat from the staff table and the two hushed their conversation with a final giggle from Nox.

"When I call your name," chirped Lenny, "please come forward, place yourself on this lovely stool and the hat will sort you!" Flicking the tip of his hat – this year it was lime green, clashing violently with spangled bubblegum pink robes – he smiled at the uncertain first years and began. "Abernathy, Winston!"

A boy with horn-rimmed glasses sat on the stool and became a Ravenclaw almost instantly. Then there was a Hufflepuff, a Slytherin and another Ravenclaw…

Fred gave me a nudge to the side and pointed up at the staff table where Professor Crane, our normally stoic and cryptic Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, grinning madly and waving. In the cluster of first years, a slender girl with very short hair and pixie-like features, was waving back with just as much enthusiasm. Fred and I both laughed out loud, earning a few stares. Neither of us had ever seen Professor Crane portray any emotion besides a sarcastic form of apathy.

"Corsetti, Evangeline!"

An olive-skinned girl with lots of dark hair emerged from the small cluster near my brother. She quickly became the first Gryffindor. We all cheered wildly. Fred slammed his fists on the table in glee, rattling all the empty platters as we let out loud whoops of excitement. She sat at the end of the table next to Fiona who, along with Dom and Maggie Whitmore, greeted the grinning girl with enthusiasm while Crabbe, Laurence joined Slytherin.

"Crane, Cleopatra!" called Lenny with another flick of his brilliant cap. The pixie girl approached the stool and, with another wave to who I assumed was her dad, sat down. She stared at her knees while the hat deliberated. Fred, who I had been making bets with from the start on who would be where, insisted she would be Hufflepuff. I scoffed, he was already seven sickles in debt to me at this point and Professor Crane was head of Slytherin. He was barking to think she'd be Hufflepuff.

But, it turned out I was barking as well. The ripped seam of the tattered, old sorting hat lifted and it cried, "GRYFFINDOR!" Though her father seemed slightly surprised, he clapped as she made her way to our table. She smiled and waved at all of us as she took a seat next to Evangeline Corsetti. The Creevey bloke joined a moment later and his brother cheered the loudest from down the table. As he sat next to Dom, he waved to Little Harman who had moved a bit closer to Rose now that her companion was gone. She waved back, betraying the smallest amount of sadness that flitted across her strange eyes.

I was getting hungry. The sorting seemed to take much longer than it did last year. I supposed time flies while waiting to find out what house you'll be in. Fred, I could tell, was growing impatient as well. He drummed at the table with his index fingers, creating a pleasant beat as he eyed the empty plates. I laughed; he was lucky Gran wasn't here, she went mad at the sound of his impatient finger-tapping. I decided to join in, creating a tune of off-beat drummery that could be heard throughout most of the hall, I reckon. Some seemed to enjoy it, bobbing their heads a bit, while others – such as Lumos Harman – looked supremely annoyed. Lenny, however, found it positively delightful! By the time he had reached the E's, he would look to us just as he was placing the hat on their heads and request a drumroll for the anticipation. Soon enough, almost all of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff were doing it and about half of Slytherin and Ravenclaw had joined in. Even Hagrid was tapping baguette-sized fingers on the staff table, visibly shaking it.

Sparing a glance at the Ravenclaw table, I was overjoyed to see Harman drumrolling as Fenway, Vivian was about to get sorted into Hufflepuff.

"Flint, Roman!" Lenny cried. A stocky boy with thick brows and a face that looked like it'd been hit with a shovel and it never quite recovered sauntered forward.

"Excellent," whispered Fred. "Another target. His sister was getting too predictable."

Lenny grinned at Fred and me. "Gentlemen, drumroll." We began our tapping and immediately everyone else joined in. It got so loud that you could barely hear the hat call "SLYTHERIN!"

"I reckon he'll be all the same cut, mate."

"Harman, Nox!" And the little, wild thing ran forward, grinning from ear to ear. She waved at her sister, who was struggling to compose herself for the first time perhaps ever. Nox's violet eyes disappeared beneath the hat and the drumming began. This time, Harman didn't join.

The hat deliberated for a good, long while. Longer than her sister, even. It must have been two and a half minutes before it made its decision.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Cheers erupted from the table around me and Fred whistled. But as the hat was lifted from her head, the girl sat very still. She looked to her sister and her lips rounded in an evident "Oh."

"No!" cried Lumos Harman from across the room, loud enough that the place quieted.

_I knew it!_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

**Nox**

"Harman, Nox!"

_Well, this is it! Off to Ravenclaw I goes I suppose. Hey, that rhymed! Right, walk. My, I've got to get me a hat like Lenny's. Lou was right, he really is a strange man. Okay, sit. There ya go, Nox!_

The hall erupted with drumming and I couldn't help but smile. I looked to Lou who looked less assured than I had expected. Certainly she should be excited, yeah?

My head was greeted by the warmth of a hat who had been worn by many. As I thought about the anxious sweat I had seen pooling on the Crabbe boy's forehead earlier, I cringed a bit.

"_I am not unsanitary, girl. Generations of witches and wizards have placed me upon their head and I alone have been entrusted to sort them into these most ancient halls. I am a treasured artifact and you dare question my purity?" _The hat's mystic voice pooled inside my head.

"_Well," _thought I, _"I was only observing that some people who have worn you don't exactly appear to be excellent advocates for good hygiene. There must be some very old sweat and facial oils collected in here."_

"_You think yourself funny… I see this now. I am old and dilapidated but I am not unwise… You mask your worry with pride and humor. An admirable trait at times, certainly. But dangerous…"_

"_Mr. Hat, Sir? Shall we skip the small talk and proceed to the sorting?" _I was getting uncomfortable and the damned hat knew it.

"_Certainly, child. But heed this first… I have seen the mind of Merlin and visited the thoughts of Albus Dumbledore. I have sorted witches and wizards who would yield the most great and powerful magic. I have sorted your own ancestors, young Miss Harman. There is the ability to be great in you, yes, that much is clear… Use this ability wisely child."_

"_Do you normally give pep talks? Or is this a first for you?"_

The hat's echoing voice seemed to emit a small metaphysical chuckle. _"It's certainly uncommon. Now where to put you… You're bright, there is no doubting your wit. Ah, and cunning too…"_

"_Slytherin? I should think not!"_

"_Yes… I see that you will fight for others before yourself… Then I suppose the best place for you will be… Oh yes, you are too much like her not to place you where she was…"_

"_Who?" _What a bizarre old hat.

"_It has been a great pleasure exploring your mind, Nox Harman. I expect you will thrive in Gryffindor._

"GRYFFINDOR!"

_You dirty old hat! You tell me who you're talking about! _But he had been lifted from my head and the hall was cheering and Fred Weasley was whistling at me. And I was a Gryffindor. "Oh."

I locked eyes with a pair of neon greens. "No!" Lou protested so loud that it could be heard above the applause. I certainly was shocked as well.

_You were never meant for Ravenclaw, Nox. Now budge up and walk, NOW!_ Obeying my mind, I turned my gaze away from my distraught sister and made my first walk to the Gryffindor table. Kit embraced me fully, shouting indistinguishably into my hair and Fred clapped me hard on the back before returning to his seat.

I grinned at Evangeline and the girl beside her. "I'm Nox!" I offered my hand to the short haired girl who requested I call her Cleo as she only was referred to as Cleopatra when she was being yelled at. "Dad's up there," she said as she pointed to a lanky man at the staff table. He had his hands folded neatly before him and looked down upon the proceedings with the slightest of smirks on. "Defense Against the Dark Arts. He's a bit of a grouch at times but he's brilliant."

Still trying to process what had just happened, I looked to catch Lou's eyes again. It didn't take much effort, she was already staring at me from across the hall expectantly. As though I had a bloody explanation for her. Of course, I had no explanation. I barely understood the mental conversation that had conspired between myself and that barmy threadbare hat. So, I offered her a shrug, for it was all the resolution I could attempt. Lou responded with a melancholy smile that I understood to mean that she wasn't exactly surprised. I realized then that I always sort of knew I'd end up in Gryffindor, mad as that sounds.

"I always knew you weren't stuffy enough for Ravenclaw," said Kit as he grabbed me roughly around the shoulders. Throwing his arm off, he nearly fell to the floor which sent him into a fit of laughs. "What's Lou going to do without us?"

"Sink into an eternal pit of boredom and textbooks. She'll love it."

Next to Kit, James Potter laughed. "I thought you were going to make me eat my words Little Harman? If that were so, your sister wouldn't see a single dull day."

Fred peered over James at me and nodded. "We've got a whole stock of wheezes to aid your efforts."

Potter looked utterly scandalized. "Fred, we can't help the enemy!"

"Enemy? I thought Lou was the enemy!" I glared.

James shook his head. I wanted to smack the pompous look from his face. "Oh no, dwarf. Harman's the target. You're the enemy with the same target and a different cause."

I think I preferred being called 'Little Harman' to 'dwarf.' I had been hoping he'd forgotten about that one, the filthy git. "Oh? And what's your cause other than to be a smarmy, dimwitted prat?"

He smiled, unaffected. "Simply being the best."

"I think you'll find that you're not."

"We shall see, won't we, Little Harman?"

Challenge accepted. James Potter was in for it. And so were Kit and Fred if they kept laughing at us. I turned on Kit, Potter and Fred and tuned into the sorting again in time to hear that "Kendrick, Barnabus" would be joining us in Gryffindor.

He took a seat next to me and smiled silently. Scrawny and gaunt in form, his pale eyes were slightly sunken. Though there was an unspoken ghostliness about him, there wasn't anything unpleasant that I could immediately decipher, so I held my hand out to him in greeting.

"You're the hat stall. Nox, right?" he spoke steadily and in a subdued tone.

I nodded. "Barney?" I asked.

"Godric, no. I despise the name." he gave me an apprehensive look.

I lifted a brow. "What am I meant to call you, then?"

I was considering disregarding the strange boy entirely when he told me he didn't know but Kit chimed in, remedying the problem by saying, "Kendrick? No, Kenny'll do." And thus, the Gryffindor first years consisted of Kit, Angie, Cleo, Kenny and a hat stall named Nox. Ace, yeah?

"Malfoy, Scorpius!" A boy with white-blond hair took to the stool and became a Slytherin after about twenty seconds of the hat's calculation.

"Potter, Albus!"

The Other Potter stepped forward. There was no drumroll this time, the whole hall fell silent in restrained anticipation. Shortly after his jet hair and emerald eyes disappeared beneath the brim of the hat, it became apparent to me, that I was no longer the only hat stall. I wondered what strange things the hat was uttering into his ears. Was he being just as elusive to Albus? Why was he conflicted about where the younger Potter should be placed? James Potter seemed slightly anxious, I noted as I allowed myself the quickest of glances at him out of the corner of my eye. His hands were clutching the table so tenaciously that his knuckles were turning a delicate shade of white.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Albus Potter stood from the stool with grace and joined the Malfoy bloke at the end of the Slytherin table. Before sitting he shrugged at a sour looking James and I laughed out loud to his great chagrin. Al and I had more in common than I would have expected.

"Knew it was a possibility," I heard Potter saying peevishly to Fred. "Bloody hat considered putting me there, but I wasn't having it. Dad says it was the same for him." As he said this he seemed even more displeasured than before.

Sometime later, as Potter became a bit less disgruntled, we observed the Scamander twins being sorted into different houses. Lorcan waved placidly from the Ravenclaw table to an evenly neutral Lysander who now sat in between Kit and James. Again, I found myself wondering about the abnormal pair.

Alexander Swift was the next to join us, taking a seat next to Cleo and immediately taking up conversation with Kenny about a particular muggle gaming video, sort of thing. When Julian Whitmore joined us, a girl in Potter and Fred's year stood and hugged him whilst squealing with delight. By the end of it, the boy's face was flushed crimson. He took his seat silently. Rose was the last of the lot to become a Gryffindor. When she approached the table, she gave Kenny an assertive look and informed him that she would be sitting next to me. He budged up without question.

The people were ready to be fed. Nearly Headless Nick was floating along the table saying "Let them eat cake!" when Professor McGonagall took to the podium. The room hushed as she stared down through rectangular spectacles. Her age was evident, and it made her all the more intimidating. "Greetings and welcome to Hogwarts," she started curtly. "This year, I am both pleased and regretful to announce, will be my last here." At this, there was an instant outburst of aghast whispers. "Silence! – Thank you. I do not feel I owe an explanation. However, I will give you one to save being pestered about it by certain students with brown noses," she gave Potter and Fred a pointed look. "I have seen and done a great deal. I feel it is time for some relaxation. I'll be returning to countryside of Scotland, where I grew up, for retirement. I have enjoyed my time here immeasurably. However, the time comes for all to move along the path.

"In my place, Professor Lenny will be taking over the post of Headmaster," she seemed to wince slightly at the thought. Many of the students at the Gryffindor table seemed terrifically pleased by the thought. "You will all treat him with the same respect that with you have treated me. For some of you, that isn't saying much," she punctuated this with another pointed glare at Potter and Fred. They howled in hilarity. "As this is my last year, I'd like to _emphasize _certain restrictions. As always, I'd like to encourage you to avoid swimming in the Black Lake; the giant squid is among the friendlier of creatures that dwell there. Also, I'd like to remind you that there is a list of certain Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products that are not permitted. It seems I must reiterate that 'not permitted' does _not _mean 'not advised.' It means they really are not allowed. This list is posted in various corridors. Do try to regard them."

I thought Potter and Fred would soon choke from laughter.

Her lips quirked to a smile for a very split second. No one else seemed to see it for they had returned to a tightly drawn line in the blink of an eye. "With all that said, have a pleasant term and may the feast begin."

The platters filled instantly with the most glorious spread of foods I had ever seen. Unable to resist, I dove right in.

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><p><strong><em>AN:_**_ So there was that! I'm hoping to get to the good stuff soon. Expect little to no details from the next couple of years for them as the juicy stuff is set a little bit further down the road for the gang. I'm looking to get some more dialogue involved and we'll see certain relationships develop, both platonic and romantic. Right now I have James and Nox forming a very strange hot and cold form of frenemy thing happening and I'm excited to see how they progress. As always, thank you so much for reading! Feel free to critique because I'd love to hear what you think! Big love!_


	5. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer:**__Hi, hello, no I don't own Harry Potter. _

**_A/N:_**_ Hello my beautiful readers! First of all, thank you so much for reading, I've been so excited to get some reviews this past week or so and I can't wait to see where these characters take me. I just wanted to make a special shout out to my two reviewers: mischief97 and whoisaly! You guys are wonderful. Also, I'm sorry for the shortness of this chapter. To be honest, this stage wasn't speaking to me so much but I wanted to get a bit of Nox's first year into play as certain events will be important later. The next one will go back to the normal length, I expect. _

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><p><strong>Nox<strong>

_**October 2017**_

_Noxie,_

_Hello Little One! How are you keeping? I imagine Gryffindor's treating you well. Loumie's written home several times with updates on both herself and you, though I must say, I've been disappointed not to hear from you directly. Judging by the past two owls from Professor McGonagall, you've been quite busy. But I hope you'll try to find some time to correspond with your dear ol' Dad in the future, yeah? _

_Don't worry, I didn't show your mother. You're very lucky I've been the one to get the post the last two times. Luck does run out eventually so do try your best to not get caught anymore, won't you, Little One? I reckon Mum would have sent you a howler if she'd found out you released a crate of Doxies in the Ravenclaw common room. I'd ask where you even managed to get them, but I don't think I want to know. Regardless, your sister has asked me to ask you to relent your fixation on plaguing her and the other members of Ravenclaw with your "shenanigans." Perhaps you could try focusing your attention on Slytherin or Hufflepuff for a bit?_

_Any road, I miss you quite a lot. The house is very peaceful and I get far too much work done. I think your mother even misses cleaning up after you. She'll be writing tomorrow, I expect. She's a bit peeved that you haven't responded to any of her owls yet, so do me a favor and write back one of these days! I look forward to hearing from you. Best of luck in Gryffindor and say hello to Kit for me._

_All my love, _

_Dad_

Folding up the parchment in my hands, I smiled. Leave it to my father to encourage my behavior while scolding me. I stroked Ringo's wings, allowing him to nip at my finger a bit before shooing him away before he could steal my bacon. I decided I would write back to Mum and Dad later. It had been almost two months since my arrival at Hogwarts, and Gryffindor was treating me very nicely. Of course I was very busy with classes and homework and, as Lou put it, "shenanigans," but to be terribly honest, I had been avoiding writing to Mum. I missed her well enough, but I knew she wasn't all that pleased that I hadn't been sorted into Ravenclaw, despite what Lou and my father insisted.

Lou, herself, was surprisingly chuffed about it. Once she recovered from the initial shock, we discussed it and both agreed that it was for the best. Aside from the not so rare occasion when I treated her to some excitement, we'd been getting on better than ever. Which is why, in light of this, I determined that I'd take it easy on her. And focus my attention elsewhere.

I tucked my father's letter away in my rucksack and nudged Kit who was deeply involved in scarfing down a plate of eggs. "Mmmh?" he mumbled through a mouthful.

"My dad says hello!"

He grinned, eggs falling from his mouth repulsively. Rolling my eyes, I gathered my things and headed out of the Great Hall, hoping I could catch Lou before class started. She was easy enough to find. Typically, she would have her breakfast early then disappear to the library to make the most of her spare time. This time, I found her at her usual table accompanied by Zabini and Bhamra.

Lou didn't even lift her nose from the textbook laid out before her when I took a seat across from her. "Good morning, Nox."

I grinned. "Hiya, Lou. Dev, Viola, you guys well?"

"Well as ever," said Bhamra, with his usual cheerful smile. Zabini merely shrugged, crossing out something on the parchment she was working on. Meanwhile, Lou's eyes continued to scan rapidly back and forth through her readings.

"Dad's written to me," I said casually, propping my feet up on the table.

"Has he?" She sounded only mildly curious. Nevertheless, she abandoned her reading for a moment, pausing with her finger marking her place. "Do you intend to respond this time?" Her bright eyes were scrutinizing.

"Yeah," I responded, earning a smile. "I reckon I've ignored Mum long enough."

She nodded. "I knew you were ignoring her. She really isn't upset, you know."

"Oh please, she's gutted. I've all but entirely confirmed my dim-wittedness." Viola smirked, amused by our mild family issues while Bhamra's quill quivered away at his attempted work, a slight pink shadowing his dark cheeks.

Lou's brows furrowed in annoyance. "Don't be so dramatic, you know that's not true. The only thing she's bothered about is your disregarding her letters. She knows how bright you are. Devious, yes, but you're not _completely_ thick." She offered a grin.

"Yes, well, I'll send her an owl later if you don't mind my borrowing Ringo. Also, Dad's mentioned you've filed a complaint regarding my methods," I smiled back, quirking a brow and leaning back in my chair.

She laughed, a soft, yet cold thing. "Methods?" Lou asked, her smile fading into a slightly biting look. "There is no method to your absolute madness. It's all destruction and chaos."

My responding laughter was much louder and unreserved. Somewhere in the shelves, an unknown studier hissed a harsh "shhhh!" This, of course, only made me laugh more. "I consider it a fine art, really. Regardless, as you're evidently not a fan of my work, I've decided not to forcefully subject you to it anymore. Not as much anyways."

Her face brightened. You would have thought I'd announced that it was free Sugar Quill Day at Honeydukes. "Oh sincerely, Noxie? You really mean it? That would be wonderful, honestly. I'll get loads more work done if I don't have to incessantly worry about what you might be up to."

"Bit of a shame," said Bhamra, suddenly, putting his quill down. "Kirby and I got a real laugh from the Doxies."

Zabini, however, disagreed. "Yes, well, you lot didn't have them hiding in your knicker drawer for weeks after. Perverted little things, they are."

I let out another loud peal of laughter, this time Bhamra joined. A tall, looming figure emerged from the shelves at this, shuffling over. Madam Hewitt, the librarian, was far from pleased, with a very sharp look on her face. "Miss Harman, how often must I remind you that the library is not a lounge?" She shoved my trainers from the table and my chair fell forward onto the other two feet. "The library is a place of peace, productivity and the – "

" – gleaning of knowledge. Yes, Madam Hewitt, you've told me. I'll be on my way then."

She nodded curtly, her glare sharpening. "If you'd _please._"

Once she skirted away in a whoosh of agitation and flowing robes, I stood. "Be seeing you lot later, then."

Lou continued to beam at me. "We'd better be going too, the bell will be ringing soon, I expect. What classes have you got today?"

"Defense Against the Dark Arts first, then double Potions. Oh, and guess what, Lou! Guess! – No, don't bother, I'll just tell you! First years have got flying lessons today! I can hardly wait."

"Merlin, help us all," Lou muttered as she marked the page of her textbook and stuffed it into her bag. With a quick smile, snort and a wave, I left her in the library.

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We had Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Slytherins. On our first day of classes, the Gryffindors and Slytherins naturally took to separation, sitting only with the members of our own house. Professor Crane, Cleo's dad, wasn't particularly keen on this, however. The man was a genius. Though brooding and sarcastic in his ways, it was easy to become completely enthralled by his lessons whether they were dark lectures on the lasting marks of Dark Magic, or activities involving testing our own defensive skills. In these, we learned quickly that he was very fond of pairing us up between houses. Today would be no different.

"Good morning class," Crane said in his distinct, deep drawl as he sailed into the classroom, taking a seat on his desk.

"Morning, Professor!" Rose, who was seated next to me, greeted brightly. Cleo gave her a somewhat scathing look. Rose was best in all of our classes, having read each textbook cover-to-cover, including Defense Against the Dark Arts. This annoyed Cleo to some extent as it turned out she wasn't all that good in her father's class.

Professor Crane cast a gaze across his classroom in a silent taking of attendance. "Today, we will begin disarming. Now, who can tell me the proper incantation for disarming someone?"

Rose's hand shot immediately to the air. Several others followed.

"Miss Weasley?"

"_Expelliarmus!_" she replied with vigor.

Crane looked slightly bemused. "Yes, very good. And who would like to explain to me the importance of knowing this spell?" Once again, Rose's hand was up in milliseconds. This time, the Professor disregarded it. "Mr. Potter? What say you?"

All eyes in the room fell on Albus Potter who appeared mildly alarmed at being picked out from where he sat with Scorpius Malfoy in the back of the class. He sighed, but responded fully and clearly. "It's a very useful spell to know because the caster, if quick enough, has the opportunity to prevent their enemy from casting any curses at all, therefore putting them at your advantage. It also makes for a very effective defensive spell." Several of the Slytherins whispered and Scorpius gave his friend a nudge.

"Indeed. Take five points for Slytherin. Oh, of course I haven't forgotten you Miss Weasley, five for Gryffindor as well."

Rose beamed at Albus who smiled back sheepishly.

"_Expelliarmus _has loyally served some of the best witches and wizards in history. Including, and I apologize for putting you further on the spot, Albus, but Harry Potter himself. During the Second War, it became known as his signature move and was, in fact, the spell he cast that, in the end defeated Lord Voldemort." The class responded in awe while Albus flushed a soft shade of pink. I couldn't help but admire his modesty that his brother never would have displayed. "The disarming spell will be a great friend to you, should you ever need it. If you'll turn to page one hundred and thirteen, please read the passage and then I shall pair you up for a bit of practice."

As always, we attempted to pair ourselves up and, as always, Crane separated us. "No, Creevey, you'll be with Flint. Weasley, why don't you practice with Malfoy today? Miss Corsetti, with Miss Goyle please… Cleo, yes okay you stay with Whitmore, I suppose. Harman, you and Potter will be an interesting match, I think, go on."

Kit looked mutinous as he stalked away from me to pair up with Roman Flint. Rose and I headed toward the back of the class where Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy waited.

Rose chatted with Al briefly and brightly before she tugged up her bushy, ginger hair into a pony and silently squared off with Scorpius. The pair didn't speak, or even look at each other really, but instead stood quietly awaiting instruction from Crane.

"Alright, Nox?" Al asked, a curious expression in his odd-shaped eyes.

I smiled, taking my position across from him. "Hi, Al. Didn't know this was your Dad's move. Go easy on me, won't you?"

He smirked knowingly. For a moment, he looked remarkably like James. "Wands at the ready!" called Professor Crane. I pulled my wand from behind my ear, brandishing it before me with all the intent of heroically flying into battle.

"On the count of three! One… Two…. Thr – "

"_Expelliarmus!_"

Al's wand went flying from his hand and hit me lightly on the head. I snorted slightly, before picking it up and tossing it back to him. It was a good deal longer than my own, I noticed. Deftly snatching it from the air, Al smiled and nodded benignly. Looking around the room, I was surprised to find that no one else seemed to have lost their grip on their wands.

"Well done, Harman. Very well done. Ten points for Gryffindor, should do. Potter, excellent catch. Now, I want you all to _mean it_! Say it with intensity. Harman, Potter, again. Pay attention, everyone. Wands at the ready! And on the count of three…"

"_Expelliarmus!_"

This time, I caught Al's eye. A look of pure emerald fervency was glowing from him as he flourished his wand with a swift wave. Our spells caught each other head on in a violent flash of red before rebounding, mine coming right back to me. I hit the floor hard. For a moment, I saw stars swimming around my head. Then, I heard Kit cackling loudly. I stood, noting that Al had fallen as well. Rose rushed at me, fussing, but I just watched as Albus stood and stared at me. I had expected a glare or a threatening look but he smiled serenely. I offered an appreciative nod.

Crane paired us together every time after that.

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Hogwarts, ever reliable in the spread of information, was swimming with the news of mine and Al's duel of sorts. Rose, of course, was beside herself.

"It was incredible," said she as we made our way to the basement.

Angie piped up as well. "You should have seen it!" she cried, flailing her arms wildly. "I thought you'd have cracked your skull, the way you got blasted."

"Nah," said Kit, catching up. "It's too thick." I aimed a punch to his shoulder. "Argh! Blimey, Nox, how do you manage to hit so hard?"

"More importantly," inserted Rose, "how is it you manage to get every spell right on the first try?"

I hadn't really thought about it. Retrospectively, I considered this; realizing that it wasn't an entirely incorrect statement. Of course, I'd never be considered even remotely a model student. My assignments were generally turned in late or lacked overall effort. However, I was exceptionally good with my wand. This, I chalked up to very good luck and an ace wand. Though the way Rose was eying me told me she suspected more. I shrugged earnestly and entered the classroom ahead of her.

Rose, Angie, Kit and Lysander joined me at our usual table while Cleo scampered off to join Jude Whitmore, Kenny and Swift. The Ravenclaws filed in and Lorcan took a seat next to his brother, saying nothing. They both stared at me with dreamy expressions in their pale eyes. _Weirdos, _I thought, fondly.

Professor Potable, head of Hufflepuff, was a stout, puffy man. He had a large head of curly red hair and a curly mustache of the same color. What he lacked in neck, he made up for in his protruding stomach that frequently was responsible for knocking over cauldrons when he made his rounds. "Hello class!" he wheezed as he stood from his stool, assessing the classroom appraisingly. "Today I'll have you making a basic hiccupping solution. Instructions are on the board, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask!"

The entirety of our table gravitated closer to Rose. She excelled in every subject and Potions was no exception. As she worked away over her cauldron, all of us attempted to mimic her. Aside from twins, our group completely relied on Rosie for our passing grades in that class. She paused, pulling up her bushy hair once more, and stared at me.

"Nox, I really don't get it. It just doesn't make sense that you can get every spell right without practicing," she stated.

Angie scoffed. "You mean it doesn't make sense that she's better than you at spellwork," she said with a roll of her dark eyes.

Rose was unabashed. "Well, yes. I'm sorry, Nox, but you don't even try!"

"Perhaps that's why she excels," said Lysander airily as he cut away at his Mimbletonia seeds without even looking at the sharp knife he worked with.

I shrugged again. "I really have no explanation for you, Rosie. I'm just a natural talent!" I grinned cheekily and stirred at my potion.

"Yes," agreed Kit. "Naturally talented at being an idiot."

"Charming, coming from the king of setting his trousers on fire."

"_You _are the one who sets them on fire!"

"And now you've perfected _aguamenti_! Remember how delighted Lenny was when you turned the fourth floor stairwell into a water slide? Didn't even get a detention, did you? You're welcome!"

"Ooooh, I hope you do that again, Kit, that was very enjoyable," said Lorcan.

In our conversation, I had lost track of how many times I'd stirred my potion and it had turned a horrific, smelly green sludge that lapped at the sides of the cauldron as though it would soon form a gelatinous mass and climb out. Rose's had turned a lovely shade of turquoise and Potable looked as though he'd combust with pleasure. By the end of the class Lorcan and Lysander had both managed to create something of similar color to the desired sky blue, yet upon Potable's inspection, it was discovered that their potions were completely correct though they made Tapdancing draught instead. Angie, who sat right next to Rose, managed something somewhat passable while Kit and I had both ended up with cauldrons full of what strongly smelled of hippogriff droppings.

"Ah, Miss Harman, I see you don't have your sister's knack for potions…" Potable said, gagging a bit after leaning over my results. "But what you lack in potioneering, you certainly make up for in charm, my dear girl," he added as I grinned hugely at him. Potable often accompanied his negative reviews with some praise. "A good effort, I'm sure. Better luck next time. Creevey, your sleeve is on fire."

"NOX!"

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_Greetings parents!_

_Hi, hello, It's me, your favorite child. I'm sorry for my lack of owling but a girl's got to keep busy in this place, lest fall behind in academics and the like. Today, I've had flying lessons and it was completely brilliant. Madam Condor reckons I could make the team next year. Albus Potter's in my year and he was the only one who flew better than me. He's been recruited for the Slytherin team already after Professor Crane saw him. They needed a Seeker and Potter's brilliant. Pretty ace, huh? _

_Classes are going well. 'Course it helps having Rose Weasley in all my classes. I've made loads of friends and Gryffindor's very cool. I never looked all that good in blue or bronze anyways. _

_Kit and I are staying out of trouble, as always. I think Professor McGonagall is fond of me. It's hard to tell, though, when she's yelling at me. Only joking, Mum, don't worry._

_Dad, I was wondering about something. When I was being sorted, the hat seemed particularly curious about the fact that I'm a witch. So did Mr. Ollivander when I was getting my wand. Seems a bit strange, don't you think? I've been thinking about it quite a bit lately and it's just very odd. Lou doesn't seem troubled by it, but I at least thought I'd ask! Can't tame my curiosity even after what happened to the poor cat._

_Feel free to send sweets with your next letters! I promise I'll be better about responding!_

_Love you both! _

_Nox_

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><p><strong><em>AN: _**_So I'm not terribly thrilled about this chapter. It's mainly meant to serve as a filler with some details. James and Fred will be back in action in the next one of course, don't fret. Thanks for bearing with me, in the meantime, though. I'll also be diving into some more third person with some first person thrown in here and there. As always, I welcome your critique! Thank you so much for reading!_

_Big love!_

_Universe_


	6. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer: **Last I checked, I'm still not J.K. Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. Fingers crossed for the next time I check, though._

**_A/N: _**_Sorry this one's taken me longer than usual. I'm not enjoying this part so much and I keep hitting blocks. Also real life keeps getting in the way, as it tends to but I'm hoping the next few chapters will come a little bit quicker. I'm thinking the next chapter might also be in Nox's second year, but we'll see how it all goes down. In the meantime, here's chapter five!_

_Also special shout out to my reviewers! You lot are wonderful people, thanks for all of the encouragement!_

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><p>Under the setting sun, the universe was stained crimson. A breeze dances about, playing at the long grass, enticing each sprout into a waltz. A girl of maybe twelve walks alone, arms swinging as she falls into an uneven pace down the hill. Soon the air will cool and the stars will emerge from their slumber. She sits in the grass and waits.<p>

Nox hasn't been alone in what feels like years. She sighs into the crisp, dusk air, relishing in the sound of solitude. Tendrils of dark curls swam about her head, tangling in the wand behind her ear. Slowly, the sky was painted indigo, a color kindred to her wide, staring eyes. One by one, tiny, twinkling celestials constellate the heavens and the moon climbs above the horizon. For now, she is a peaceful being.

Back at her home, an impressive manor atop a nearby hill, her family is unaware of her slipping out into the falling dusk. Her father, a kind man with dark hair and eyes that would match her own precisely if not for the exhaustion that lined and darkened his lower lids, falls asleep by a crackling fire with the _Evening Prophet _laid half-read in his lap. Her mother, a patient woman of incomparable, golden beauty and grace, stands before the cast-iron stove, tranquilly stirring a potion in her pewter cauldron. _Clockwise, clockwise, counterclockwise… _Wisps of curling vapor whirl before her brown eyes while she stares out the window at the glowing moon. It's beautiful tonight.

Upstairs, there is a sister, of golden hair and complexion like their mother. She pours over a book. It is an ancient book of cracking leather and yellowed and dusty pages. Her bright eyes flit expeditiously across the pages, devouring every word with zeal. Her wildly searching eyes halt abruptly, pausing at the sight of one word: _Harman._

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_**July 2018**_

"No, absolutely not."

Nox Harman was mutinous. She knew she oughtn't have told Lou but she was hoping for aid, not treachery. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours when her mother found out.

It was rapidly approaching dawn when she had snuck back into her home with a resounding creak of the kitchen door. The tiny thing bundled into her jumper stirred as she ran upstairs, skipping steps along the way. Her bedroom door had barely shut behind her when she heard her father groggily mumbling "_lumos,_" as he emerged from her parents' room, no doubt going to fix himself a spot of coffee before preparing for work.

At first, she felt confidently assured that she had it all sorted. Then, of course, it occurred to her that she'd have to hide the creature from her parents for two more months before then having to sneak it into Hogwarts. So, she delegated the knowledge of her new friend to her sister who, crumbling under the pressure of their mother's suspicious gaze, revealed the truth in a blubbering bout of what can only be described as word vomit.

Nox glared at her sister who looked rather regretfully at her lap. "Why the bloody hell not?" she asked, furiously. Slamming her fists onto the table, her plate rattled sending several peas flying onto the table and rolling onto the floor. Max, who was waiting under the table, licked her toes gratefully.

Mrs. Harman crossed her arms. "Because, _Nox, _it's a wild animal, not a pygmy puff! You've got no idea how to care for it and it could be dangerous and aggressive. And I'll thank you mind you language, young lady."

"He is not an 'it,' he's a he! And he's just a baby. He was all by himself when I found him and looks like he's been badly hurt by something. Mum, I couldn't just leave him to fend for himself." Nox's violet eyes swam with wild determination. Though her brows were furrowed defiantly, the desperation in her voice was clear and cracked her words. She turned to her father with expectation and qualm.

Jack Harman was reliable in many aspects. One of them, in particular, being that he was nearly always willing to offer opportunity. He looked back at his daughter with an air of casual amusement as the slightest of smiles tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I'd like to at the very least see the little fellow, Matilda. Why don't you go and fetch him, Little One?"

Nox's face split instantly into a massive, toothy grin that touched every inch of her face. She stood from her chair so promptly that it flew backward, tumbling to the floor. She paid it no mind but simply ran to her room, ignoring her mother's indignant protests. When she returned, she carried a box. It was not a particularly large box, nor was it all that small. It was about the size of a shoebox, though by the way it quivered, it was evident that this box did not hold a new pair of trainers. She placed it on the table and lifted the lid. Matilda Harman fell silent and the entire family stared.

Two pointed ears were the first to emerge, then a pair of large, circular, brown eyes, then a wet, black, button-like nose, and then the creature leapt gracefully from the box and sat on the table. He sat and stared back at the on-looking family as though he knew assessment awaited. The tiny red fox's fluffy tail curled delicately around his emaciated frame and he gazed directly at a smiling Mr. Harman.

"Well, he's very cute, isn't he?" Mr. Harman stated, breaking the silence. Tentatively, he reached out and stroked one of the large ears. The young fox responded in kind and leaned into the long-fingered hand.

Upon closer inspection, it was clear the poor creature had indeed had an unfortunate encounter with another animal. He was missing a bit of his right ear, his bushy tail was rather bent and there was an impressive gash in his thin side. These wounds along with his prominently protruding bones read that he desperately required love and nourishment.

Nox stared into her mother's eyes, refusing defeat. She recalled the last time she saw those brown irises take on that shade of frozen earth – an incident involving a catapult for fried, ground meat. "And I've already named him," she declared in a hard tone. "He's Meatball."

After a long handful of moments during which Meatball the fox climbed his way onto Mr. Harman's shoulder and Nox continued her challenging stare at her mother, it was finally too much to bear for Lou who had grown rather tired of staring at her lap. "Oh, come on, Mum. He's perfectly harmless. And it'll be an excellent opportunity for Noxie to learn some responsibility."

Nox beamed at her sister while their mum's face painted itself in shock. But finally, she agreed. "Oh, alright then. But he'll have to see one of those muggle animal doctors, I don't want him infecting Max with anything. And don't expect me to take care of the little beast, Nox!"

In a feat of triumph, Nox cheered loudly and danced about before scooping the creature from her father's shoulder and snuggling him to her face. Her luck seemed endless on that fine night.

She gifted her parents each with a grateful, blown kiss before grasping her sister's hand, tugging her from the table and galloping out the kitchen door, leaving behind her abandoned chair, still turned over, and a plate of uneaten peas and carrots.

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The remainder of the summer is fleeting and humid. Nox Harman runs around as though the world is hers and at times it truly feels like it is. She is followed incessantly by her little red companion who grows bigger and healthier every day. By day he is her shadow and by night he is her comfort.

On one particularly wretched day, the sun beat down with a vengeance. Even the plants seemed to be sweating as the air was thick and laden with crippling humidity. The Harmans hid indoors. Nox lay on her bed dark hair fanned out on her pillow, watching the useless ceiling fan chug away. Meatball, who found a cool patch of floor in the shadow of her untouched bookshelf, flits his crooked tail agitatedly, perking his head up before the quick knock sounded.

"Who goes there?" she called, not moving from the bed.

"Are you clothed? It's Kit!"

"No, Kit. I'm completely starkers."

The door opened anyways. "Well, cover up, then." Kit, looking rather disheveled, strode in and fell back onto the end of Nox's bed. Immediately, Meatball laid claim to his chest. "'Lo, Meatball… Have you got your books and materials for term yet, Nox?"

Nox sat up, looking at her friend and idly petting the fox on his chest. "Yeah, we went last Wednesday. Mum was mental without your mum there to distract her."

"Talk about mental, we've just gotten back! I swear the heat's got my mum off her rocker thinking we ought to go to Diagon Alley in this humidity. I think I've run out of sweat." He punctuated the statement by wiping the back of his hand along the length of his forehead. Nox attempted to push him from her bed but Meatball's look of disapproval stopped her. _I've got to wash the damn sheets later, then. _

"Cleo owled me yesterday," said Nox. "Apparently Bemis has decided to retire. He wrote Lenny declaring it just last week. Her dad's thrilled."

"I'm certainly not complaining." Professor Bemis, the Transfiguration professor, was a deeply unpleasant man with an equally unpleasant scowl that he always seemed to wear. Where he lacked in kindness, he compensated with a passionate fondness for assignments that frankly made next to no sense. When not in his office, scribbling failing grades onto students' essays in angry, scarlet ink, Bemis was a frequent visitor of Crane where he relished in critiquing his methods. It was no secret that Professor Crane despised the horrible man perhaps more than the students of Hogwarts.

"Here's hoping that his replacement isn't as much of a miserable, old git," Kit added, in a tone of dread.

Nox couldn't fight the same feeling that crept into the back of her head. She knew very well that she could handle any professor that dared take such pleasure in the displeasure of students as Bemis had. But there was something more; something that made goosebumps sprout on her arms, despite the incredible heat. She shrugged it off, diving quickly into zealous discussion of what they expected the year's house quidditch teams would look like.

"Slytherin's going to be better than ever, I expect," said Kit. "They've had nearly the exact same lineup for the past two years. Their form was already excellent last year. And with Potter seeking, they're near unbeatable."

Nox scoffed loudly. "Well once I'm playing for Gryffindor, they won't stand a chance. Who've you seen swing a bat like me on the pitch last year?" She eyed the new broom leaning against the wall by the window. She had done various house-hold chores – the domestic, muggle way, mind you ("No wand-waving, Nox, it's not permitted and it builds character to mop the floor without magic!" Mrs. Harman had said. "_Yeah, yeah, whatever, Mum"_) since the day she got off the Hogwarts Express for summer holidays. Each and every twig was perfectly clipped and aligned and the shiny handle smelled richly of fine cherry. It had taken a particularly brutal session of de-gnomeing the garden two weeks prior that she was able to scrape together the last few sickles she needed to proudly purchase her Nimbus 3000.

Gryffindor's star beater, John Knightley, had graduated and vacated his spot on the team and Nox fully intended to fill it.

Kit grinned and shook his sandy head. "Fred's planning to try out for Knightley's spot as well, you know. James says he's excellent with a bat." He smirked as her eyes grew dark. If there was one thing Kit Creevey really enjoyed, it was watching Nox get riled up. Among other things.

"Belt it, Kit!" she snarled. "Potter knows nothing about beating. He's too busy tossing a quaffle and trying not to get hit in his fat head to know anything about being behind the bat. Fred may be well enough, but I'm better," Nox declared haughtily.

"Maybe. But I doubt Fred would hesitate to send a bludger at Albus like you would."

She delivered a hard punch to his shoulder. Though Kit was getting better at dodging these earned blows, Nox was too quick for him. He rubbed at his shoulder sorely but laughed all the same. "I don't know what you're talking about. Al and I are mates!"

"Yeah, and I'm a Slytherin. I saw you guys always chatting in Defense when Crane paired you up and I was always stuck with Flint. You always went easy on him. 'Cos you lurve him. Noxie luuuuurves Al!" This time he jumped from her bed in time to avoid her pounce. A clearly agitated Meatball growled, swatting at his ankle and then dashed from the room. Kit ducked Nox here and there about the room until, in a comical moment, he tripped over her vast, Persian rug, and fell slowly, arms windmilling in the air before crashing to the floor in a fit of laughter.

Nox sat crisscrossed on the rug before his crumpled frame, flicked him on the forehead with an index finger and glared. "I never went easy on him. He's very good at those spells."

"Oh please," Kit sighed, flipping onto his back and watching the ceiling fan turn. "You're better. Everyone in our year knows you're best with a wand. Better than Rose, even."

_She really hates that, _Nox thought. And she didn't know whether to be flattered or irritated so she settled for punching him again. Kit was right, though. Nox had gone easy on Albus Potter from time to time. Her fondness for The Other Potter had stemmed from a particular lesson in which he had commented on her eyes.

Crane had the class dueling for marks instead of a mid-year exam. Al had put up a pretty good fight but it was Nox's firing of _impedimenta _that sent him to the floor. She immediately offered her hand, helping him easily to his feet.

They had locked eyes for a fraction of a second when he had stated, "You've got cool eyes."

"Yeah, I know, they're an odd shade of blue," she responded, satiated.

He appeared momentarily flummoxed by this, as though this were news to him. "Yeah? Yeah, they are. But I meant the little bits of silver. You know? They're like stars. Very cool." With that, he turned and walked off to talk to Scorpius Malfoy leaving Nox utterly perplexed and grinning bashfully like a complete prat. Before Potions that day, she had nipped off to the loo to examine her eyes. Sure enough, there were flecks of silver floating in pools of violet, and she had never known.

So what? Nox and Albus were mates! They spent every practical Defense lesson working together upon Crane's orders for nearly a fully term. He was a nice bloke. And a right nice change from his sodding idiot of a brother. Granted by the end of her first year, the two had developed a truce of sorts in the name of their mutual friends. James, the demented git, in turn, altered this truce into an opportunity to annoy Nox when Lumos was unavailable, hiding in the library or her common room. The Gryffindors rarely found a quiet moment in their own common room due to this. She expected second year would be much the same.

"Contrary to popular belief, my dear Kit, I have occasionally been known to enjoy the company of intellectual, mild-mannered individuals unlike yourself, you bleeding idiot."

Kit sat up and launched himself at her, quite suddenly. He pinned her arms under his knees and stared down at her threateningly. She didn't struggle but merely looked back, amused. "Admit you love Albus or I'll spit on ya face."

"No. And you won't do it, you haven't got the bollocks!"

"Fine," he said with a sigh. "At least admit you love me! 'Cos I know you do Noxie! Don't test me, Little One, I mean business this time."

"Definitely not." she replied with a snort. "And don't call me that!"

Kit grinned menacingly before unleashing a thick string of spit that dangled precariously closer and closer to her face. "Ew! Kit, no! Gerroff me you prat!" She put up a good fight and the rope of saliva swayed dangerously back and forth. "ALRIGHT FINE! I looooove you Kitten, you're my very best mate now get the bloody hell off of me." With a great shove, Kit was launched backwards.

He smiled victoriously. "Oh, Nox, you flatter me. But I think it's too soon in our relationship for pet names, don't you?"

Nox cast her violet eyes skyward and shook her head, smiling. She then suggested they take her broom out to the field for the sunset. The way the sky was taking on a bubblegum glow through the windows, it was looking promising and as the sun fell, the air cooled and the lingering moisture fell into dewdrops, speckling the grass.

Moments later they were racing downstairs, her in the lead, broom shouldered and headed for the garden. At the Hydrangeas, Nox and Kit climbed onto the unflown Nimbus 3000 and took off toward the dusky, hilly horizon.

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_**September 1, 2018**_

The Boy Who Lived, now a man who still lived, watched his eldest son climb into a compartment of the Hogwarts Express, remembering the days when it was him doing so. Dark days, they were. Dangerous times. But all was well now; his children were safe.

He looked to Albus who was hugging Lily goodbye. It was uncanny how much his son resembled himself. Al turned from his tearful sister and smiled once more at Harry before joining James on the train. Through the window of the compartment, he noticed that James was wearing the smirk he'd inherited from his namesakes. With crossed arms, he stood before a small girl with hair as shiny and chalkboard black as Harry and Albus's. Words Harry couldn't hear fell from James's mouth and the girls hands snapped quickly to her hips, much like Ginny did when she was ready for a row. Harry laughed quietly and grasped Lily's small hand. The remaining Potter family stood, waving on the platform, as the Hogwarts express began to move.

"I have no _idea _what you're talking about, Little Harman," said James Potter with a smirk.

Nox glared, her hands rising to her waist, sizing him up. The wand behind her ear grew warm as the temptation of hexing him became stronger. "I know you've nicked it, Potter. What the hell have you done with it?"

He laughed, running a hand through his mess of mahogany hair. "What use have I got for your broom? I've got my own!"

Clearly the menacing approach wasn't working for her. Nox needed to reevaluate her strategy if she intended to get anywhere with the bloke. Mustering up all her twelve year old charm, she glanced up at him through thick, dark lashes. Merlin, he'd grown quite a bit taller over the holiday. She'd only managed to gain an inch at most. So she stood on her tip toes, then rocked sweetly onto her heels, and forward again, like a silly child. "James, pleeeease?"

His smirk fell into a warm smile for a moment then he caught this falter and pasted the smirk back on. "Now that you mention it, perhaps I have seen your broom. But only if you've seen your sister."

She fell flat on her feet with a light _thump_. "Potter, when are you going to get it through that thick skull of yours that Lou positively _detests _you," she knocked on his forehead earning a hazel eye roll.

"Which is why I enjoy tormenting her so much."

"Oh please," said Nox. "You can deny it till you're blue in the face but I know you fancy her. Fred's told me."

James's eyes went wide. Scheming expression falling to the floor along with his jaw. "That traitorous –"

Nox burst out laughing, eyes watering up. "Only joking, Potter! I had guessed as much but you've just confirmed it. Now that I know it's true, think you could tell me where you've put my broom? I think if I had it I'd feel less inclined to drop terrifically unsubtle hints to my sister that you fancy her, don't you agree?"

"You're evil," said James, hiding his smile.

"And you're a git," she replied, wiping at her eyes.

For a moment, he thought he hated the girl. But then he realized that she'd bested him. And for that reason, he quite liked her. So he led her to a compartment down the corridor a bit. Inside sat a small cluster of girls talking rather loudly, one of which, judging by her bright, gingery hair, was undoubtedly a Weasley.

The compartment fell silent at James's entrance. The Weasley girl looked up from her _Daily Prophet _and smiled sweetly at him. "Hi Jamie. Hi Jamie's friend."

"Hey Molly. This is Nox." Molly Weasley only continued to smile sweetly, pushing her horn-rimmed glasses further up her nose. She was an older girl but had a pleasant innocence about her. "Love to chat but it's Lucy I need at the moment."

The lanky young girl with brown hair looked up. She wore glasses as well but instead of having them over her blue eyes, she wore them lopsidedly atop her head. Her short, messy, brown hair was misleading. It was only her anarchic spattering of freckles and long nose on her face that revealed she too was a Weasley. _Blimey, they must breed like gnomes._ "What d'you want, then?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"I'll be needing that broom back," said James, looking unusually apprehensive.

The girl – Lucy Weasley – shook her head, sending her glasses askew. "You've given it to me, I'm keeping it!"

James clenched his fists at his side. "Luce, I didn't give it to you. I wanted you to hold it. For purposes of mischief. But I'll be needing it back; it's Nox's broom, see."

Lucy turned on Nox, glaring. "Hard lines. I finds, I keeps."

Nox stared back, amused, saying nothing. She smiled a little but all the same aimed a kick at James's shin.

"Ouch! Bloody hell, Nox! Right, fine, yeah – Lucy! For Merlin's sake, you can't even use a broom at school until next year!"

Merely shrugging, she continued to stare at Nox as though she had just recently drowned a litter of cruppies or something horrible of the like. "I'll hang onto it then."

"You most certainly will not," piped Molly with an exasperated sigh. "Give the girl her broom back."

"Or what?" asked Lucy, obstinately.

"I have been meaning to get in touch with Uncle Perce…" said James.

Scoffing, Lucy turned red. "I'm not scared of Dad!"

"Mum, then. Jamie'll write to Mum, won't you?" Molly helped.

Nox stepped forward, wand practically whispering in her ear for a good jinxing. "Bottom line – Lucy, was it? – I'll be having my broom back. Now, preferably." Lucy looked at her in judgment. James observed silently, attempting to study the enigma that is pre-teen girls, while Nox and Lucy assessed one another. After a bit, they both nodded amicably and smiled at each other. In shock, James stared, all the while thinking how bloody mental girls are. Lucy then grabbed her trunk from the luggage rack and pulled the Nimbus 3000 out of it. There was an undetectable extension charm on the trunk, Nox reckoned. She'd have to get Mum to do one on her trunk at Christmas.

Lucy complimented Nox's broom and the two chatted about quidditch for a bit before James decided he'd like to leave. Nox obliged in joining him, waving good-bye to Lucy and Molly and their less interesting companions. They returned to the compartment where their mates were. They raced down the corridor, flying into the compartment just as Fred, Kit and Chance O'Malley had dove into a large stock of pumpkin pasties, starting an eating contest that Dom and Fiona Finnegan were judging.

"Hiya, Nox!" said Dom, making room on the bench for her. James stole it quickly, leaving Nox to sit next to Fred where crumbs subsequently fell onto her lap as he mumbled a greeting through a mouthful of pasty. Meatball, who had been on the luggage rack, napping atop Nox's trunk, leapt down scavenge to crumbs

"Where'd Rosie go?" asked Nox, scratching at Meatball's ears. Rose had been there before but seemingly had disappeared.

"Oh, to go find Al, I expect," said Dominique, and Nox thought that she might very much like to go find them.

Kit leaned over Fred to cast her a suspicious eye as he chewed. He swallowed what seemed to be a painful mouthful, breathed heavily for a moment then said, "Want to go and fetch them, do you?"

She threw him a scathing glare and shook her head, leaning back against the bench seat and propping her feet up on the parallel seat next to James. "No, I'm perfectly comfortable here."

"Yeah," said Fred as he swallowed his pasties. "She's a lady of refined taste, Kit. She prefers more civilized company." It was then that Fiona declared Chance the winner of the eating contest. He was overjoyed, waving his fists triumphantly in the air as he spewed half-chewed pumpkin pasty at everyone. The prize, it turned out, was the remaining quantity of pasties. How very civilized, indeed. That much was certain when Kit, Fred and Chance began poring over the most recent _Quidditch Illustrated _on the cover of which Veronica Zephyr, a chaser for the Appleby Arrows, sat on her broom in much more revealing attire than her usual uniform, she waved from the cover and occasionally tossed a quaffle in the air. _Charming._

Fiona and Dom began telling tales of their holidays – Dominique spent it in France with her siblings. Meatball had climbed up Nox's arm, wrapping around the back of her neck, his fluffy tail hanging, limp and crooked, down her shoulder. He resumed his napping. She thought she might join him, leaning her head against the window and closing her eyes.

James watched her doze off and decided to do the same.

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**Nox**

This year, Lenny was wearing robes of mustard yellow. More horrifically, his cap was enchanted to flash different colors every five or so seconds. The whole ensemble was both terrifically brilliant and horribly distracting. As Professor Longbottom placed the sorting hat on each of the first years' heads, I found my sights frequently drifting to the staff table where Lenny's hat flashed away. Lime green! Periwinkle! Lavender!

The first years seemed more nervous than my lot did last year. Nearly all of them had a vague look of nausea with a slightly greenish hue shading their faces. _The poor little sods. _

Maroon! Orange! Emerald!

_Emerald… _My eyes drifted over to the Slytherin table. There, next to his usual companion, Scorpius Malfoy, sat Albus. Despite Lenny's hat, he seemed deeply immersed in the sorting ceremony. Scorpius seemed to be about as distracted as I was, staring with blue-gray eyes ahead, all but unseeing. I followed the path of his gaze and realized he was watching Rose who, like her cousin, was unaware of being observed and intently looked onto the sorting and cheered as "Longbottom, Alice," became a Gryffindor. The round-faced little blonde stood from the stool and hugged a positively chuffed Professor Longbottom – who I reckoned was her dad – and sat two seats down from me, next to Kenny who welcomed her warmly with a very weak joke. I turned back to look at Al.

He was looking back this time. I swear his eyes had gotten greener and charcoal hair significantly untidier. He was a sight to behold. And he was a damn sight nearly identical to his father. Give or take twenty or so years in age difference. He smiled at me and waved. I waved back and wondered if I'd have Defense Against the Dark Arts with him again this year.

"Since when are you and my brother chummy?" James Potter asked, leaning over Rose to share his look of confusion with me.

I shrugged. "We were partnered in Defense last year. You know how Crane likes to pair up different houses."

"Yeah, that whole 'house unity' thing is Dad's idea, actually," James said, proudly. "Beat you in every duel, did he?"

Rose, with her annoyed look perfected, glared at him and spoke up before I could summon a response. "She beat him nearly every time actually. Nox, here, _happens _to be better with a wand than anyone in our year. Of course, her schoolwork itself could use some help, mind you."

"True," I said.

"But really, James, why must you pester all of my friends."

James laughed, ruffling Rose's bushy ginger locks, as was traditional with them. "It's only Little Harman, here, really. So I suppose it _is _all of your friends. And I reckon she enjoys getting pestered by me."

"Is that so?" I asked, snorting a bit. _Godric, I hate when I do that._

He leaned back, running a hand through his hair whose messiness easily rivaled his brother's. "Who wouldn't?"

"Truly," added Fred, who had evidently been listening. "By me as well, yeah, Noxie, love?"

I laughed, blowing a kiss to Fred across the table. "Oh, but of course Fred. Your cousin, not quite as much."

Potter looked entirely defamed at this comment. "Have you _looked at me? _I am one hundred percent pure – "

" – Git," I interjected. "Pure git."

Offering no further retort, Potter grinned massively and laughed along with Fred, Rosie and Kit. Lately he'd taken to laughing when I took the mickey out of him instead of fighting back and it was something I was terribly conflicting about. On one hand it was nice being mates with Potter. We certainly got on better these days. But on the other hand, I didn't get the same satisfaction of making him furious by besting him when he actually seemed to enjoy our constant back-and-forth.

You'd think the bloke liked when I called him a git or something.

After what felt like ages of sorting later, Gryffindor had gained eight additional members, one of which was Lucy Weasley. Instead of taking her place at the end of the table with the rest of the first years, the freckly, bespectacled brunette walked further down, disregarding her peers completely and taking an assertive stance behind Rose and I. "Gonna sit with you lot if you don't mind budging up." Without question, Rose inched away from James and made room. Lucy sat between her two cousins and took less than five minutes for her, Fred and James to begin arguing energetically over what color they suspected Lenny's hat would turn next.

"Gold!" predicted Fred. "No, brown!" insisted Lucy. "Violet, this time!" James declared.

"Oh shut it, will you?" Rose cried. "He's about to talk!"

Lenny had taken to the podium, hat still flashing wildly. The chattering in the Great Hall slowly fizzled out as he raised his hands, smiling brightly down upon all of us. "Greetings younglings! Hogwarts welcomes you home!" Lenny bounced on his heels, voice high and warm as he spoke. It was rather hard to believe that he would be our new headmaster. "To those returning, I know we will miss our beloved Professor McGonagall, but she sends her highest regards to all of her staff and young pupils and hopes that this year will be your best yet! In her retirement, as well as the retirement of dear Professor Bemis, we have two new staffing additions." He extended a long, yellow cloaked arm to the staff table behind him where Professor Crane sat smiling hugely next to an unfamiliar young woman. "I'm very pleased to introduce Professor Gwendolyn Winslet, who will be taking my place as Charms instructor, come on Gwen, do stand up, won't you dear?"

The young woman stood, smiling brilliantly. Merlin, she was lovely. She was tall, with honey hair and a radiant smile. Though she looked as though she couldn't have been too far past of age, there was a certain joyful confidence about Professor Gwendolyn Winslet that was most intriguing.

"Blimey," breathed Kit. "_She's fit._" All the other boys within earshot of this comment nodded in agreement, transfixed on the new professor.

Lenny continued smiling, unaffected by her beauty. "Would you like to say something dear?" he asked. She continued smiling, pearly teeth glowing under the light of the floating candles, and shook her head. Professor Crane whispered to her as she sat down and they both laughed a little.

"I'm certain you and the students will become very close!" chirped Lenny.

"Merlin, I hope so," said Fred, earning laughs all down the table.

None the wiser, Professor Lenny continued. "And filling Professor Bemis's Transfiguration post as well as my old post as Head of Ravenclaw House, I'm pleased to introduce you ducklings to Professor Hector Erubus." Once again, Lenny gestured to the staff table. On the far right, a man stood. Like Professor Winslet, he too was tall, though not in elegant, slender grace. He was tall and looming and _dark._ Everything about the man's features were dark. His skin was olive and his hair raven. He did not smile, he only stared.

I was overcome by a horrible feeling that slithered up my spine, sending each and every hair on end. Something was very, very wrong.

"Would you like to speak to the students, Professor?" Lenny asked. Like Professor Winslet, Erubus shook his dark head and sat back down.

I couldn't tear my eyes off of him.

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Sleeping through breakfast had become a bit of a habit of mine first year. It seemed terrifically likely that the trend would continue through to second year as well. Sure enough, the first day of classes I found myself being aggressively pulled from my delicious slumber by a rather aggravated Rose informing me that I had missed banana pancakes for breakfast and now I'd be sure to miss Charms as well if "you don't get your lazy, skiving arse out of bed this instant, Nox Harman!"

Needless to say, I wasn't off to the best of starts.

Fortunately, I found some solace in the form of Angie, who, it turns out, isn't much of a morning witch herself. She ended up rolling out of bed about the same time as me. In our similar states of exhaustion, we scrambled about the dormitory, occasionally bumping into one another, hastily getting ourselves sorted. Lieutenant Rose had long since given up on hollering at us to hurry up and had left with Cleo to save us ideal seats.

"Merlin, I could go for a coffee," I grumbled as we stampeded down the marble steps on our way to the Charms wing.

Angie laughed light-heartedly. "That would be _perfetto!_"

The wonderful thing about Evangeline Corsetti was not her animated story-telling and occasional bouts of Italian blended into her sentences. No, it was how unavoidably drawn to her you could be. Sometimes she reminded me an awful lot of Lou in that they were both terrifically amicable. However they differed in that Angie was delightfully cheeky.

It was approaching ten minutes past time class was set to begin when we stumbled through the door. However, I was shocked to find that the classroom was still in a state of uproar as though the bell hadn't rung yet. Professor Winslet, it seemed, wasn't even present yet. I would have guessed that she was lost in the many winding, mysterious corridors of Hogwarts but it was evident that she had been in the classroom before. All of Lenny's old eclectic décor was missing from the walls and was replaced with magnificent, beautiful woven tapestries and curtains depicting the most wonderful spell-casting. They moved, though unlike the paintings in the halls who had their own residents with personality and memories, the witches and wizards of the tapestries remained silent and moved slowly so as to show the exact movements of their wands.

The room was beautiful and filled with life. I was especially pleased to see that Lenny's rather horrible statue of Bartholomew the Barmy wearing a top hat had been replaced by a statue of a beautiful witch with an inquisitively sharp smile.

Angie and I moved in to take our seats at the only available two seats in the room. Though Kit and I generally took a desk together in the back row of nearly every class, he along with just about every second year bloke in Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had taken seats in the first and second row. Just about every bloke, of course, excludes Lysander and Lorcan Scamander who sat next to us quietly.

"Alright boys?" I asked. Strange as they are, I'm very fond of the Scamander twins. Lorcan, being in Ravenclaw, I don't know all that well. In fact, we hardly ever spoke unless he chose to share a prize bit of information on nargles or humdingers or various other unseeable creatures that he suspected were dimming up my mind. Though, those rare moments were _really special. _Lysander, however, was in my house and was slightly less eccentric than his brother. Of course, he too, was a believer in oddities, he was a bit more reserved about them and also was willing to discuss real animals with me as well.

Lysander placed his cheek to his desk and smiled. "Oh yes, it's wonderful to be back. Isn't it Lorcan?"

"Yes," agreed Lorcan, blue, protuberant eyes looking distant as always. "Very wonderful. I suspect they've dusted the cobwebs recently too. Much less wrackspurts, I've noticed."

Angie laughed harshly and shook her head but listened on all the same as Lorcan discussed his month away with his mother and father searching for the Crumple-Horned Snorkack in Iceland over the holiday. I was surprised to find that Lysander had stayed with the Potters instead.

As I was about to inquire about his stay with the famous family, the room fell silent and Professor Winslet was striding to the front of the room with a leather briefcase in hand. She dropped it on her desk and it fell with a thump that didn't match its size. Then she turned on the class and smiled. I think I could hear a drop of drool fall from Kit's mouth to his desk.

"Good morning class!" She said sweetly, in a foreign accent. _Dear Godric, she's a bloody American. _"I'm Professor Gwendolyn Winslet," as she spoke, she flicked her wand and a stick of chalk flitted across the chalkboard, writing her name in long, looping letters. "You can call me Gwen. I did _not _attend Hogwarts. I grew up in New England, which is nothing at all like the England you're all familiar with but hides just as much magic. When I was eleven years old, I received my letter from the Salem Institute for Extraordinary Individuals. I finished just over three years ago, traveled for a while and met some very interesting folk including Professor Lenny. So now I'm here and I'm wicked excited about it and I hope you guys are too!" The smile hadn't left her face. I thought it was all very interesting. I had never really thought about there being other schools of magic but lo and behold there was a twenty year-old, enthusiastic, American witch before me prepared to teach Charms at a school she'd never been to before.

Rose's hand shot into the air. "Yes? What's your name?"

"Rose Weasley," she responded impatiently. "Why are you late?"

I snorted. How typical of Rose and how very forward of her to call a brand new teacher out on her tardiness. But Gwen seemed unfazed. "Oh, yeah! Sorry, about that guys!" said Gwen as she turned to her desk and began rummaging in her briefcase. "I didn't intend to be late but I was waiting for something in the post. It was supposed to get here days ago but I guess shipping from the States takes forever even if you're doing it magically." She pulled out a large book. Then another, and another, until she had a sizable stack of them on her desk. With another flick of her wand, they floated from her desk and neatly landed before each student.

_Wandless Magic: Using the Power Within_

There was a soft muttering about the room. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The woman was mad. Using magic without a wand was certainly feasible. But certainly nothing advanced; not a whole textbook's work.

Rose's hand was waving wildly in the air again.

Gwen smiled softly at her and nodded. "Rose?"

"We've already got textbooks. _Practical _textbooks, Professor-"

"Gwen, please. I know you have your books already and I fully intend to teach you all of that material. But I thought this could be fun! At Salem, we learned all about ancient magic and the use of it before wands were ever forged. Of course it's very difficult but I think it's important to tap into what we can do as witches and wizards, not just what we can do as wand-wielders." She spoke softly, but her words filled the room in a tangible way. The power of her excitement was contagious and the idea of my own power being beyond the wand behind my ear was deliciously enticing.

"I don't expect you to be incredible at it," she said. "But I do expect you to try. I think you'll find it's very rewarding." She placed her wand neatly on her desk and raised her hands. With her index fingers pointed, she moved her arms in an arch, mumbling an unheard incantation. Professor Gwendolyn Winslet smiled at me before closing her eyes in concentration.

The Monarch butterflies that bloomed from her fingers fluttered around the room until the class ended.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"She's absolutely brilliant!" I found myself raving, as me and my fellow Gryffindors made our way to the Transfiguration wing.

Everyone but Rose seemed to agree. "You're joking! Wandless magic? How foolish, that's for children who can't control their magic."

"Didn't you hear her? She said it's an ancient form of magic," replied Kit, walking backwards ahead of us.

"Kit," I said. "I'm surprised you were paying attention to anything she was saying rather than trying to guess what color her knickers are."

"Red, I reckon," muttered Swift to Kenny.

Kit shook his head. "She definitely wears white, but that's besides the point. The point is that the Americans learn wandless magic, why shouldn't we, Rose?"

"I think the point is that you boys are swine and Americans can do whatever impractical magic they please but this is Hogwarts not the Salem Institute. They don't teach wandless magic at _L'Incantismo_, do they Angie?"

Angie shrugged, "Dunno, I don't go there, do I? No, I'm stuck with you lot who guess the color of our professors' knickers and can't twirl spaghetti to save your life."

"Right," said I. "Well, Rosie maybe it's time you broaden your horizons. You'll still have your chance to outsmart everyone."

"Dad says Gwen's brilliant, Rose," added Cleo. "And my dad doesn't really like people that much."

Rose continued to moan and groan in disagreement for the entirety of our journey to Transfiguration. When we arrived outside the classroom, my stomach instantly knotted itself up and Rose's complaints became nothing but background noise. I scowled in unpleasant discomfort, becoming again overcome by a feeling of overall badness that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

"Are you alright, Nox?" Lysander asked, placing a slender hand on my shoulder. I nodded silently but couldn't shake the feeling or my grimace. Entering the room, I noticed that most of the Slytherins were already there. As I was walking down the aisle of desks to claim a seat with Kit, a hand shot out and wrapped around my wrist.

Al was staring up at me, emerald eyes full of concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I breathed, the feeling of dread falling away slightly. "Just a bit tired, I suppose."

He didn't look like he believed me. "Want to sit with us?" He asked motioning to himself and Scorpius who stared at me indifferently.

I cast my gaze toward Kit who had taken a seat ahead and was looking back at me with a deviously expectant grin. I sat next to Al, knowing I'd never hear the end of it. Kit's shoulders shook in laughter as he turned toward the front of the room where the professor stood waiting.

"This is Transfiguration," said he in a low voice that carried slowly around the room. He in his dark demeanor and his dark eyes, watched us fall silent under the pressure of his voice. "And I am Professor Erubus. Does anyone have questions?" his eyes fell upon the students who remained silent. "No? Excellent. You will begin, then, by showing me what you can do with the quills on your desk. You may turn it into what you so please but you must turn it into something. You have ten minutes and you will be graded on this." With that he turned and took a seat at his desk, leaning back in the throne-like chair and folding his hands neatly before him. He assessed silently.

"Creepy bloke, yeah?" said Scorpius, waving his wand uselessly at his quill.

Albus did the same. The quill quivered slightly but remained fully feathery and gray. "Yeah. Very odd. But he's better than Bemis, I suppose. Are you sure you're alright, Nox? You look a bit peaky."

"Yeah," I said, dismissing him. I needed to stop being so bloody dramatic. Everything was fine.

At the end of the ten minutes, I hadn't removed my wand from behind my ear and the quill sat untouched on my desk. There was no need to start trying in this class now, even though Professor Bemis was gone. Al had managed to turn his quill into a wooden spoon and Scorpius had turned his into a much larger, pinker quill. Kit seemed to have set his on fire. No, okay, I lied, I set it on fire when he wasn't looking.

"Which one of you is Nox Harman?" Professor Erubus asked, his voice falling over the room in the same odd way. Everyone fell silent and Kit stopped glaring at me long enough to share an extremely confused and concerned look.

A quick shiver ran up my back but I certainly wouldn't be a coward. Something about this man rubbed me the wrong way so I would rub him right back. "I am," I stated proudly, raising my hand.

He strode over from the front of the room, his feet making no noise as they touched the ground. As Erubus got closer, I could begin to make out his face that from a distance had a blurriness to it that made him hard to distinguish. His olive skin was clear, perfect, untouched. And his nose, though long, was perfectly symmetrical. His dark eyes held the same, dark, inhuman symmetry. Though he was undoubtedly tall and handsome, he was dark in every way, casting shadows wherever he stood. I didn't trust him, I didn't like him, and I didn't know why.

"Professor Bemis told me you're a talented young witch Ms. Harman," he said, unsmiling.

I stared back, not allowing myself to cower in the shadow of his dark gaze. "So?" I asked, turning my chin up.

"You have not touched your quill."

"I didn't want to."

Next to me, I could hear Al's breath catch in his throat. My heart beat harder but this time it was the thrill of defiance sending it pounding. "Ms. Harman, I insist you display your abilities."

I shook my head, saying nothing.

This time, he smiled slightly. It was a sharp thing: A grin that could slice throats and shatter glass. Pulling a long wand from his robe pocket, he flourished it quickly, complexly. And the quill became a snake.

It was only a small corn snake that coiled around itself happily, tiny tongue flitting occasionally out of its mouth. Certainly nothing to be afraid of. The rest of the class looked on, intrigued as I picked her up, allowing her to twist around my fingers.

"Blimey, Nox," said Scorpius quietly from next to Al.

"Yes, very sweet," said an unamused Erubus. "_Engorgio._"

And a massive serpent curled around my wrist, hissing menacingly, delighting in the feel of my rapid pulse beneath its cold scales. The room erupted into panic, Rose and Kit were shouting. Angie cried out in jumbled Italian. I cared not. This man wanted the satisfaction of beating me at what I was best at: pure, infuriating stubbornness. I'd sooner snog Professor Lenny than let this mad man have his victory. So I channeled Mum. _Composure. It's just a snake, Nox. He can't let it eat you because then he'll lose his job. _

The snake uncoiled itself, slithering gracefully down my arm and onto my desk. I cheered inwardly before I opened my eyes to find it poising to strike. _At Al._

I looked to the Professor who watched me expectantly. I hated him then. Al's green eyes were wide in fear and you would have thought the snake was a basilisk, he was so petrified. So I pulled my wand from my ear and flicked it. It was easy. It was so easy that I hated it. Because now there was a quill, unmoving and uninteresting, on the desk before Al, and I had lost. I had never wished I was bad with a wand before that. But then and there I rather thought I'd like to snap the beloved thing in half.

Instead, I replaced it behind my ear, stared at the horrible quill and glared at the dark, devious professor. I picked up my rucksack and stormed from the room, not looking back at Al, Rose, Kit or anyone. They'd know what shady tree they could find me under after class.

From then on, the man never gave me chills or filled me with unknowing fear again. No, it was a white, hot raged that boiled in my stomach when his dark eyes fell on me. And an eagerness to find out why.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: **Yes, so Nox is taking me on a strange route right now and I'm just as lost as some of you might be. But she's leading the way and I feel really good about it! I really am eager for some later chapters when her relationships with the Potter boys will develop. Also Lou's been M.I.A. but she's going to play an essential role in everything. The next chapter will touch some quidditch and some rivalries with the Flint family as well as James in his awkward third-year boyness. As always, please feel free to review and critique!_

_Big love!_

_Universe_


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